Polyazomethines derived from polynuclear dihydroxyquinones and siloxane diamines

New polyazomethines have been synthesized based on polynuclear dihydroxy quinones (5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone) and siloxane diamines differing by the siloxane sequence length (1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane and α,ω-bis(3-aminopropyl)oligodimethylsiloxane having about 12 siloxane units/sequence). The structures were verified by spectral analyses. Solubility tests, GPC and viscosity measurements were performed. Some properties of the resulted polymers were investigated by thermal (TGA and DSC), electrical, spectral (UV-Vis) and electrochemical (differential pulse voltammetry) methods.     

New heteroleptic lanthanide complexes as multimodal drugs: Cytotoxicity studies,apoptosis, cell cycle analysis,DNA interactions,and protein binding

We report herein the synthesis and characterization of four new heteroleptic complexes of Sm(III), Eu(III), Gd(III), and Tb(III) with the natural flavonoid 5‐hydroxyflavone (primuletin) and 1,10‐phenanthroline. According to the physicochemical characterization, the mononuclear complexes correspond to the general formula [Ln(OH) ₂ L ₁ L ₂ ]·nH ₂ O , where L₁ = C₁₅H₉O₃ (deprotonated 5‐hydroxyflavone) and L₂ = C₁₂H₈N₂ (1,10‐phenanthroline), Ln is the lanthanide cation, and n = 4 for Sm(III), 3.5 for Eu(III), 2 for Gd(III), and 3 for Tb(III). A six‐coordinated distorted octahedron geometry was proposed for the complexes, and density functional theory (DFT) studies were used to calculate their optimized geometry. Cytotoxicity was studied using MTS assay on cervical, colorectal, colon, breast, and ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines. Flow cytometry data were consistent with apoptotic cell death and disruption of the cell cycle in cervical and colon cancer cells. As a means to investigate the mechanism underlying the cytotoxic effects, the abilities of the complexes to interact with calf thymus DNA, human serum albumin, and transferrin have also been assessed. According to experimental and computational studies, the four lanthanide complexes act as DNA intercalators and bind strongly to serum proteins.     

Shaft design: A semi-analytical finite element approach

This work deals with the practical use of semi-analytical finite elements in the machine design. The case of mechanical shafts is considered. The most usual loading condition characterized by the presence of axial, torsional, bending, and shear loads can be modeled by over imposing an axi-symmetric, an axi-antisymmetric and a harmonic load, corresponding to the first three terms of the Fourier series expansion, if semi-analytical plane finite element is used. A practical case is presented and the advantages, with respect to the three-dimensional approach in terms of computational time and accuracy for stress and displacement evaluation, is put in evidence.     

Metal-Containing Polyethylene Waxes

Low molecular weight polyethylene resulting as a by-product in a high density polyethylene plant was subjected to controlled oxidation and subsequent modification to convert the free carboxyl groups into calcium carboxylate groups. Several wax grades with useful properties and applications have thus been obtained.     

Contribution to electrical discharge electron beam system for flue gas cleaning method

Many authors have investigated simultaneous reduction of SO₂ and NO_x from flue gas stack emission by electron beam-induced plasma process. Because of high costs, this technology has been applied in only a few countries (Japan, China and Poland) until now. Small countries, consumers of cheap combustibles, produce a great deal of atmospheric pollutants SO₂ and NO_x, For this reason there is a great interest in the implementation of cheaper technologies with a similar impact as electron beam processing. This paper presents a series of experimental data for SO₂ and NO_x removal by electron beams, electric discharge and ozone in different processing variants of flue gas.     

Invariant surfaces in the homogeneous space Sol with constant curvature

A surface in homogeneous space is said to be an invariant surface if it is invariant under some of the two 1‐parameter groups of isometries of the ambient space whose fix point sets are totally geodesic surfaces. In this work we study invariant surfaces that satisfy a certain condition on their curvatures. We classify invariant surfaces with constant mean curvature and constant Gaussian curvature. Also, we characterize invariant surfaces that satisfy a linear Weingarten relation.     

On complex Landsberg and Berwald spaces

In this paper, we study complex Landsberg spaces and some of their important subclasses. The tools of this study are the Chern-Finsler, Berwald, and Rund complex linear connections. We introduce and characterize the class of generalized Berwald and complex Landsberg spaces. The intersection of these spaces gives the so-called G-Landsberg class. This last class contains two other kinds of complex Finsler spaces: strong Landsberg and G-Kähler spaces. We prove that the class of G-Kähler spaces coincides with complex Berwald spaces, in Aikou’s (1996) [1] sense, and it is a subclass of the strong Landsberg spaces. Some special complex Finsler spaces with (α,β)-metrics offer examples of generalized Berwald spaces. Complex Randers spaces with generalized Berwald and weakly Kähler properties are complex Berwald spaces.     

On the non-periodic multilayer films

The non-periodic multilayer film is studied in order to discern some of the most important features of periodic sonic composites, such as the full band-gaps and modes that are localized around defects. The band-gap for different number of Cantor elements into the film is analysed by taken into account the role of the fracton and phonon vibration regimes in the wave propagation. The film can prohibit the propagation of Lamb waves in the Ox₁ direction. The band-gap is generated in the band structure of the structure, meaning that the surface waves are forbidden to propagate with certain frequencies in the Ox₁ direction. The structure of the band-gaps for different number of Cantor elements into the film is analysed. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Thermal behaviour of binary and ternary copolymers containing acrylonitrile

Three types of acrylonitrile copolymers (acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene copolymer (ABS¹), acrylonitrile-styrene random copolymer (SAN²) and acrylonitrile-butadiene random copolymer (BAN³) were studied by thermogravimetry (TG/DTG⁴) and by pyrolysis in a semi-batch process at 450 °C in order to find structure–thermal behaviour relationships. The overlapped thermo-oxidative degradation processes were separated and the corresponding kinetic parameters were calculated. The TG/DTG studies have evidenced that the styrene-acrylonitrile interactions stabilize the nitrile groups reacting by chain scission rather than cyclization and destabilize the styrene units. Also, the cyclization of the acrylonitrile units in ABS is favoured by interactions with the styrene and butadiene units. The pyrolysis behaviour evidenced that the styrene-acrylonitrile interactions in SAN and ABS lead to the formation of 4-phenylbutyronitrile as the most important decomposition compound. ABS shows similar composition of the degradation oil with SAN copolymer therefore in the ABS the styrene-butadiene interactions are less important than those between styrene and acrylonitrile units.     

Profiling and sequence analysis of gangliosides in human astrocytoma by high-resolution mass spectrometry

In this preliminary investigation, a low-grade astrocytoma (AcT) is investigated by high-resolution (HR) mass spectrometry (MS) aiming at characterization of gangliosides with potential biomarker value. The research was conducted towards a comparative mapping of ganglioside expression in AcT, its surrounding tissue (ST) and a normal control brain tissue (NT). HR MS was conducted in the negative ion mode nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI). Fragmentation analysis was carried out by collision-induced dissociation (CID) MS²–MS^4. Due to the high resolving power and mass accuracy, by comparative mapping of the ganglioside extracts from AcT, ST and NT, under identical conditions, 37 different species in AcT, 40 in ST and 56 in NT were identified. AcT and ST were found to contain 18 identical ganglioside components. Among all three specimens, ST extract presented the highest levels of sialylation, fucosylation and acetylation, a feature which might be correlated to the tumor expansion in the adjacent brain area. MS mapping indicated also that AcT, ST and NT share one doubly deprotonated molecule at m/z 1063.31, attributable to GT1(d18:1/18:0) or GT1(d18:0/18:1). CID MS²–MS⁴ on these particular ions detected in AcT and ST provided data supporting GT1c isomer in the investigated astrocytoma tissue. Our results show that HR MS has a remarkable potential in brain cancer research for the determination of tumor-associated markers and for their structural determination.