Withanolides from Withania adpressa

From the leaves of Withania adpressa, a plant endemic to Sahara of Morocco and Algeria, the novel steroidal lactone (22R)‐14α,15α,17β,20β‐tetrahydroxy‐1‐oxowitha‐2,5,24‐trien‐26,22‐olide (= (15S,17S)‐14,15,17,20‐tetrahydroxy‐22,26‐epoxyergosta‐2,5,24‐triene‐1,26‐dione; 1 ), was isolated, along with three known compounds, withanolides F ( 2 ), J ( 3 ), and oleanolic acid. Their structures were mainly solved by in‐depth 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR (including ADEQUATE) experiments, as well as by HR‐MS analyses and chemical evidence.     

Optimal stopping problems by two or more decision makers: a survey

A review of the optimal stopping problem with more than a single decision maker (DM) is presented in this paper. We classify the existing literature according to the arrival of the offers, the utility of the DMs, the length of the sequence of offers, the nature of the game and the number of offers to be selected. We enumerate various definitions for this problem and describe some dynamic approaches. Fouad Ben Abdelaziz is on leave from the Institut Superieur de Gestion, University of Tunis, Tunisia e-mail: foued.benabdelaz@isg.run.tn.     

Sequentially Injective Hull of Acts Over Idempotent Semigroups

In this paper using the notion of a sequentially dense monomorphism we consider sequential injectivity (s-injectivity) for acts over a semigroup S. Among other things we describe the s-injective hull of acts over an idempotent semigroup S. We also give some classes of idempotent semigroups for the acts over which the notions of injectivity and s-injectivity coincide, and hence get the injective hull of acts over these classes of semigroups.     

Sulfur multilayer formation on Au(111): new insights from the study of hexamethyldisilathiane

Hexamethyldisilathiane was successfully used as a new precursor for the formation of S layers on Au and to study their interaction. Characterization of the S modified gold surface was done by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Key findings include the direct observation by STM of (i) coexistence of different phases, (ii) multiple sulfur layers formation, (ii) formation of rectangular structures not only on the adlayer but also on the top layer, and (iv) rectangular structure mobility on different layers. These results provide clear evidence regarding the adsorbate nature of the rectangular structures, solving a highly debated question.     

Telomerization by free-radical mercaptan chain transfer. IV. Effects of structure,solvent and initiator variation on the stereochemistry of acrylate ester–mercaptan telomers

Chain-transfer constants for radicals one to five units in length were determined for the methyl acrylate–isopropanethiol system. Effects of varying ester alkyl group, mercaptan solvent and initiator on three-unit diastereomer ratio were also investigated. It was found that the proportion of syndiotactic isomer increased as the size of either the ester alkyl group or the mercaptan increased, the latter result being equivalent to a penultimate effect. Polar solvents, on the other hand, favored the formation of the isotactic form. This effect was observed in the free-radical telomerization and to an even greater degree in the base-initiated anionic telomerization. Possible reasons for solvent effects are discussed.     

Processing and Properties of Nanofibrous Bacterial Cellulose-Containing Polymer Composites: A Review of Recent Advances for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an extracellular natural polymer produced by many microorganisms and its properties could be tailored via specific fabrication methods and culture conditions. There is a growing interest in BC derived materials due to the main features of BC such as porous fibrous structure, high crystallinity, impressive physico-mechanical properties, and high water content. However, pristine BC lacks some features, limiting its practical use in varied applications. Thus, fabrication of BC composites has been attempted to overcome these constraints. This review article overviews most recent advance in the development of BC composites and their potential in biomedicine including wound dressing, tissue engineering scaffolds, and drug delivery. Special emphasis is placed on the fabrication and applications of BC-containing nanofibrous composites for biomedical usage. It summarizes electrospinning of BC-based nanofibers and their surface modification with an outline on challenges and future perspective.     

Stabilizing and suicide-peroxide protecting effect of Ni2+ on horseradish peroxidase

The present research discusses the structure stabilizing and protecting effects of Ni²⁺ against suicide-peroxide inactivation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Suicide inactivation of HRP by hydrogen peroxide (3 mM) was monitored by measuring change in the absorbance of the colored product (tetraguaiacol) of the catalytic reaction cycle at 470 nm. Progress curves of the catalytic reaction cycle were obtained at 27 °C, phosphate buffer (5 mM), pH 7.0. The corresponding kinetic parameters (e.g., initial enzyme activity (α_o) and the apparent rate constant (k_i) of suicide inactivation of HRP by peroxide) were evaluated using a kinetic equation derived in this study. Comparative activatory and inhibitory effects of Ni²⁺ on the kinetics of suicide-peroxide inactivation of HRP are discussed.     

Crystal structure of pentakis ethylenediammonium bis undecachlorodiantimonate(III) tetrahydrate, (NH3(CH2)2NH3)5(Sb2Cl11)2·4H2O

The pentakis ethylenediammonium bis undecachlorodiantimonate(III) tetrahydrate salt is monoclinic with the following unit cell dimensions:a=16.271(5) Å,b=13.004(4) Å,c=13.932(4) Å, β=111.72(2)°, space groupP2₁/c withZ=2. The structure was solved by Patterson methods and refined to a finalR value of 0.023 for 4435 reflections withF ₀>4σ(F ₀). The structure shows a layer arrangement perpendicular to thea axis: planes of the [Sb₂Cl₁₁]⁵⁻ bioctahedra alternate with planes of [NH₃(CH₂)₂NH₃]²⁺ dications. The [Sb₂Cl₁₁]⁵⁻ bioctahedra are connected through O−H...Cl hydrogen bonds, such that infinite chains of composition [Sb₂Cl₁₁(H₂O]_n ⁵ⁿ⁻ are formed in the structure, parallel to the twofold axis. These chains are themselves interconnected by means of N−H...Cl and O−H...Cl bonds originating from the [NH₃(CH₂)₂NH₃]²⁺ entities and the water molecules, respectively, and form a threedimensional network.