Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of the volatile oil compounds from Tropaeolum majus L. (Nasturtium)

This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of some chemical compounds of the volatile oil extracted from Tropaeolum majus L. The chemical compounds extracted from the flowers and leaves of T. majus L. have been identified through color reactions and gas-chromatographic analysis combined with mass spectrometry. Quantitative testing and the ascertaining of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) have been done through the binary micro dilution method for liquid environments against the following microbial types and species. The qualitative evaluation of the sensitivity of microbial stems against these compounds has been done through methods that have been adapted from the diffusimetric method. Of the qualitative methods used for the control of the antimicrobial activity, the method of diffusion on filter paper discs proved to be the most efficient, the results correlating well with the MIC. Our studies have demonstrated the efficiency of the natural compounds’ of T. majus L. in anti-inflammatory treatments in animals. The antimicrobial activity proved to be selective, depending on the pathogen. These results are in agreement with those of other studies. Our results supported the selection and utilization of these compounds’ as antimicrobial agents in the treatment of infections with microorganisms resistant to existent antibiotics.Key words: Chemical compounds, Tropaeolum majus L, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity

The Ising model and Special Geometries

We show that the globally nilpotent G-operators corresponding to the factors of the linear differential operators annihilating the multifold integrals $\chi^{(n)}$ of the magnetic susceptibility of the Ising model ($n \le 6$) are homomorphic to their adjoint. This property of being self-adjoint up to operator homomorphisms, is equivalent to the fact that their symmetric square, or their exterior square, have rational solutions. The differential Galois groups are in the special orthogonal, or symplectic, groups. This self-adjoint (up to operator equivalence) property means that the factor operators we already know to be Derived from Geometry, are special globally nilpotent operators: they correspond to "Special Geometries". Beyond the small order factor operators (occurring in the linear differential operators associated with $\chi^{(5)}$ and $\chi^{(6)}$), and, in particular, those associated with modular forms, we focus on the quite large order-twelve and order-23 operators. We show that the order-twelve operator has an exterior square which annihilates a rational solution. Then, its differential Galois group is in the symplectic group $Sp(12, \mathbb{C})$. The order-23 operator is shown to factorize in an order-two operator and an order-21 operator. The symmetric square of this order-21 operator has a rational solution. Its differential Galois group is, thus, in the orthogonal group $SO(21, \mathbb{C})$.Comment: 33 page

Evaluation of binomial double sums involving absolute values

We show that double sums of the form $$\sum_{i,j=-n} ^{n} |i^sj^t(i^k-j^k)^\beta| \binom {2n} {n+i} \binom {2n} {n+j}$$ can always be expressed in terms of a linear combination of just four functions, namely $\binom {4n}{2n}$, ${\binom {2n}n}^2$, $4^n\binom {2n}n$, and $16^n$, with coefficients that are rational in $n$. We provide two different proofs: one is algorithmic and uses the second author's computer algebra package Sigma; the second is based on complex contour integrals. In many instances, these results are extended to double sums of the above form where $\binom {2n}{n+j}$ is replaced by $\binom {2m}{m+j}$ with independent parameter $m$.Comment: AmS-LaTeX, 42 pages; substantial revision: several additional and more general results, see Proposition 11 and Theorems 15-1

BASAL GANGLIA PATHWAYS: BEYOND THE CLOSED-LOOP CIRCUITS WITH THE CEREBRAL CORTEX

Concepts of basal ganglia (BG) functions have been strongly influenced by their anatomical interconnections with the cerebral cortex. Views regarding these interconnections have changed dramatically over the past century. Specifically, advances in transneuronal tracing with neurotropic viruses have demonstrated that the BG participate in parallel closed-loop circuits with cerebral cortical areas that underlie motor and cognitive functions (Middleton and Strick, 2000b). Using transneuronal tracing techniques, we have identified two new pathways that allow the BG to influence motor and cognitive processes. First, we used the retrograde transneuronal transport of rabies virus (RV) to show that the BG participates in open-loop circuits with the dorsal prefrontal cortex (PFC). Specifically, the ventral striatum (VStr) projects to the dorsal PFC, but does not receive input back from the dorsal PFC. Our results expand on the finding that there exist open-loop circuits between the BG and motor cortical areas (Kelly and Strick, 2004; Miyachi et al., 2006; Saga et al., 2011). These open-loop circuits provide a pathway for BG limbic processing to influence both motor and cognitive functions. Second, we used retrograde transneuronal transport of RV to reveal a pathway that enables BG output to influence cerebellar (CB) function. Specifically, the subthalamic nucleus (STN) sends a disynaptic projection to the CB cortex. These results are important because until recently, it was generally accepted that the BG and the CB were not directly connected. The pathway from the BG to the CB complements the recent discovery that the CB sends a disynaptic projection to the striatum (Hoshi et al., 2005). Together, these pathways provide the anatomical substrate for substantial interactions between the BG and the CB, in both the motor and nonmotor domains. Overall, we identified two novel output pathways from the BG: from the VStr to the dorsal PFC and from the STN to the CB cortex. These pathways provide the BG with the potential to influence motor and nonmotor processes, outside of the traditional closed-loop circuits with the cerebral cortex. Considerable evidence suggests that these pathways are likely to have important effects on both normal and abnormal aspects of behavior

Algorithms for zero-dimensional ideals using linear recurrent sequences

Inspired by Faug\`ere and Mou's sparse FGLM algorithm, we show how using linear recurrent multi-dimensional sequences can allow one to perform operations such as the primary decomposition of an ideal, by computing the annihilator of one or several such sequences.Comment: LNCS, Computer Algebra in Scientific Computing CASC 201

State control over commercial transactions with goods from precious metals

The paper illustrates a synthetic analysis of the Romanian perspective related to commercializing process of those goods manufactured from precious metals or only film coated with these metals, namely gold, silver, platinum and palladium, in pure or alloy with at least 10% precious metal. Our approach is considering the legal regime established, in this respect in Romania, in the context of European Union (EU) integration. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the way in which Romanian legal authority exercised through a institutional system is guiding the operations with precious metal objects, with additional references to some identified limitations, or weaknesses. Furthermore, our attention was also focused on suggesting few indications that might improve the inland conditions in the future

Subresultants in multiple roots: an extremal case

We provide explicit formulae for the coefficients of the order-d polynomial subresultant of (x-\alpha)^m and (x-\beta)^n with respect to the set of Bernstein polynomials \{(x-\alpha)^j(x-\beta)^{d-j}, \, 0\le j\le d\}. They are given by hypergeometric expressions arising from determinants of binomial Hankel matrices.Comment: 18 pages, uses elsart. Revised version accepted for publication at Linear Algebra and its Application

Holonomic functions of several complex variables and singularities of anisotropic Ising n-fold integrals

Lattice statistical mechanics, often provides a natural (holonomic) framework to perform singularity analysis with several complex variables that would, in a general mathematical framework, be too complex, or could not be defined. Considering several Picard-Fuchs systems of two-variables "above" Calabi-Yau ODEs, associated with double hypergeometric series, we show that holonomic functions are actually a good framework for actually finding the singular manifolds. We, then, analyse the singular algebraic varieties of the n-fold integrals $\chi^{(n)}$, corresponding to the decomposition of the magnetic susceptibility of the anisotropic square Ising model. We revisit a set of Nickelian singularities that turns out to be a two-parameter family of elliptic curves. We then find a first set of non-Nickelian singularities for $\chi^{(3)}$ and $\chi^{(4)}$, that also turns out to be rational or ellipic curves. We underline the fact that these singular curves depend on the anisotropy of the Ising model. We address, from a birational viewpoint, the emergence of families of elliptic curves, and of Calabi-Yau manifolds on such problems. We discuss the accumulation of these singular curves for the non-holonomic anisotropic full susceptibility.Comment: 36 page

Ariile naturale protejate din regiunea biogeografică panonică, România

Although it only covers 3% of the territory of the European Union, the Pannonian bioregion is home to a high biodiversity with some endemic species. In Romania, the Pannonian bioregion covers 6% of the national territory, and lies on a strip in the Western part of the country. The main purpose of our study is to evaluate the number, surface and distribution of protected natural areas at the level of Pannonian bioregulation in Romania. According to the data processed by specific GIS methods, before the designation of Natura 2000 sites, the area covered by protected areas was 1.59% (22371.86 ha) in the Pannonian bioregion, and now the area coveredby protected areas has increased up to 13, 92% (217409.01 ha). Of the 79 protected bioreales, 2 have management structures, 26 are managed by the custodians and 51 do not have management or custody facilities, and 25 are under an approved management plan