Socially Responsible Investment: A multicriteria approach to portfolio selection combining ethical and financial objectives

In a context of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), this paper deals with portfolio selection for investors interested in ethical policies. In the opportunity set there are ethical assets and other assets which are not characterized as ethical. Two goals are considered, the traditional financial goal in the classical utility theory under uncertainty and an ethical goal in the same utility framework. A new financial-ethical bi-criteria model is proposed with absolute risk aversion coefficients and targets depending on the investor’s ethical profile. This approach is relevant as an increasing number of mutual funds are becoming interested in SRI strategies. From the proposed model, an actual case on green investment is developed. Concerning this case (without generalizing to other contexts), an analysis of the numerical results shows that efficient portfolios obtained by the traditional E-V model outperform the strong green portfolios in terms of expected return and risk, but this does not significantly occur with weak green investment.     

L2‐estimates for the DG IIPG‐0 scheme

We discuss the optimality in L² of a variant of the Incomplete Discontinuous Galerkin Interior Penalty method (IIPG) for second order linear elliptic problems. We prove optimal estimate, in two and three dimensions, for the lowest order case under suitable regularity assumptions on the data and on the mesh. We also provide numerical evidence, in one dimension, of the necessity of the regularity assumptions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2012     

A new antimycobacterial furanolignan from Leucophyllum frutescens

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the minor active fractions obtained from the root bark of Leucophyllumfrutescens (Berl.) I. M. Johnst. led to isolation from the n-hexane extract of a new compound with moderate activity against the H37Rv Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain (MIC 63 microg/mL), and low cytotoxicity, as shown by the IC5o against Vero cells. The compound was identified by 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy a s2',5"-dimethoxysesamin.     

Ring Puckering in Chloride-[N,N′-Bis(2,6-Diisopropylphenyl)-2,2,6,6-Tetramethylheptane-3,5-Diiminato]Tin(II)

Abstract  

Reaction of the β-diketiminato lithium salt {CH[(C^tBu)(2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃N)]₂}⁻Li⁺ with SnCl₂ provided the derivative {CH[(C^tBu)(2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃N)₂}SnCl with a three-coordinate tin(II) ion. The crystal structure shows a non-planar ligand skeleton and a tin(II) ion with a distorted tetrahedral pyramidal geometry with one vertex occupied by an unshared electron pair. The Sn(II) ion out of the N2–C3–C2–C1–N1 plane (Φ-length) is 0.674 ? because of the steric hindrance between the tert-butyl groups and the N-aryl groups. The Sn–N1 [2.224 (19) ?] and Sn–N2 [2.1423 (18) ?] distances in the heterocycle corresponded with a delocalized system, while the most acute angle was associated with the bite of the chelating ligand N–Sn–N 87.94 (7)°.     

A novel method to identify and characterise peptide mimotopes of heat shock protein 70-associated antigens

The heat shock protein, Hsp70, has been shown to play an important role in tumour immunity. Vaccination with Hsp70-peptide complexes (Hsp70-PCs), isolated from autologous tumour cells, can induce protective immune responses. We have developed a novel method to identify synthetic mimic peptides of Hsp70-PCs and to test their ability to activate T-cells. Peptides (referred to as "recognisers") that bind to Hsp70-PCs from the human breast carcinoma cell line, MDA-MB-231, were identified by bio-panning a random peptide M13 phage display library. Synthetic recogniser peptides were subsequently used as bait in a reverse bio-panning experiment to identify potential Hsp70-PC mimic peptides. The ability of the recogniser and mimic peptides to prime human lymphocyte responses against tumour cell antigens was tested by stimulating lymphocytes with autologous peptide-loaded monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Priming and subsequent stimulation with either the recogniser or mimic peptide resulted in interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secretion by the lymphocytes. Furthermore, DCs loaded with Hsp70, Hsp70-PC or the recogniser or the mimic peptide primed the lymphocytes to respond to soluble extracts from breast cells. These results highlight the potential application of synthetic peptide-mimics of Hsp70-PCs, as modulators of the immune response against tumours.     

Encapsulation of apple polyphenols in β-CD nanosponges

Rutin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid are some of the most important and characteristic polyphenols found in apples and their by-products (cider, apple juice, apple pomace, etc.). Despite their antioxidant power, their low stability under light or heating conditions restricts the use of this kind of molecules as nutraceuticals. To deal with this issue, encapsulation seems to be an alternative solution. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that β-cyclodextrin nanosponges (β-CD NS) are promising agents for the encapsulation of polyphenols. Rutin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid have been included for the first time in β-CD NS in this work. In particular, the highest encapsulation efficiency for rutin (83.7 %) was obtained using 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole as cross-linker in a 1:3 ratio (nanosponge/cross-linker). However, for smaller molecules as phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, the nanosponge which showed the best results was the one with HMDI in a 1:8 ratio (87.2 and 77.5 %, respectively). In vitro dissolution studies of encapsulated polyphenols showed that rutin and phloridzin are better dissolved in ethanol, while chlorogenic acid is better dissolved in water. Besides, TGA, DSC, FTIR and XRPD were used as characterization techniques. Individual polyphenols and nanosponges, equimolar physical mixtures and synthesized complexes were characterized. Taking into account the obtained results, it can be confirmed that the solid products were not physical mixtures, but inclusion complexes. Thus, using these encapsulating agents, other polyphenols from apple and its by-products could be encapsulated in order to enhance their bioavailability.     

Addition of Organocuprates to Ketoketenimines. Synthesis of β-enaminoketones

Base-induced ring cleavage of 3-unsubstituted isoxazolium salts followed by reaction of the resulting ketoketenimine with organocuprates affords asymmetric β-enaminoketones in high yields.     

Tuning the Lewis Acidity of Boranes in Frustrated Lewis Pair Chemistry: Implications for the Hydrogenation of Electron‐Poor Alkenes

An analysis of the metal‐free reduction of electron deficient olefins by frustrated Lewis pairs indicates that the rate‐determining step might be either the heterolytic cleavage of H₂ to form an ‐onium borohydride salt, or the subsequent transfer of the hydride moiety to the substrate following a Michael‐type addition reaction. While the use of strong Lewis acids such as B(C₆F₅)₃ facilitates the first of these processes, hydride transfer to the olefin should be contrarily favoured by the use of weak Lewis acids which, for this very same reason, might be unable to promote the prior H₂ split. After systematic testing of several boranes of different Lewis acidity (assessed by using the Childs’ method) and steric demand, an optimal situation that employs tris(2,4,6‐trifluorophenyl)borane was reached. Mixtures of this borane with 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of alkylidene malonates. In fact, this transformation could be achieved under milder conditions than those we reported previously. Moreover, the reaction scope could be expanded to other electron deficient olefins containing esters, sulfones or nitro functionalities as electron‐withdrawing substituents.     

Determining the absolute configuration of secondary alcohols by means of a chiral auxiliary and NOESY

The absolute configuration of secondary alcohols can be determined by NOE between the diastereotopic protons of the lactam and the protons of the alcohol moieties in some 1-(alkoxymethyl)-methyl-2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylate derivatives. Two simple methods based on conformational analysis and ¹H NMR data have been developed. The main conformer, in all cases, was established by means of MM, semi-empirical, and ab initio calculations.