La détermination rapide du calcium et du magnésium dans l'eau de mer

A rapid method is described for the determination of calcium and magnesium in sea. water. The classical gravimetric methods are very lengthy and are susceptible to errors if used for sea-water. The two alkaline earths are determined by complexometric titration using complexen III (disodium ethylenediaminetetra-acetate) as reagent and two indicators (murexide and ériochrome black T) for the determination of calcium and for the sum of Ca⁺² and Mg⁺² ions. The quantity of magnesium is obtained by difference. While the classical gravimetric methods take at least 24 hours, these two determinations can be effected in 1 hour, giving satisfactory accuracy.     

Unfolding the singularities in superspace

A method is described for unfolding the singularities in superspace, \(\mathcal{G} = \mathfrak{M}/\mathfrak{D}\) , the space of Riemannian geometries of a manifoldM. This unfolded superspace is described by the projection $$\mathcal{G}_{F\left( M \right)} = \frac{{\mathfrak{M} \times F\left( M \right)}}{\mathfrak{D}} \to \frac{\mathfrak{M}}{\mathfrak{D}} = \mathcal{G}$$ whereF(M) is the frame bundle ofM. The unfolded space \(\mathcal{G}_{F\left( M \right)}\) is infinite-dimensional manifold without singularities. Moreover, as expected, the unfolding of \(\mathcal{G}_{F\left( M \right)}\) at each geometry [g _o] ∈ \(\mathcal{G}\) is parameterized by the isometry groupIg _o (M) of g₀. Our construction is natural, is generally covariant with respect to all coordinate transformations, and gives the necessary information at each geometry to make \(\mathcal{G}\) a manifold. This construction is a canonical and geometric model of a nonrelativistic construction that unfolds superspace by restricting to those coordinate transformations that fix a frame at a point. These particular unfoldings are tied together by an infinite-dimensional fiber bundleE overM, associated with the frame bundleF(M), with standard fiber \(\mathcal{G}_{F\left( M \right)}\) , and with fiber at a point inM being the particular noncanonical unfolding of \(\mathcal{G}\) based at that point. ThusE is the totality of all the particular unfoldings, and so is a grand unfolding of \(\mathcal{G}\) .     

Metal-templated diyne cyclodimerization and cyclotrimerization

Reaction of [Pt(CH3)2(COD)] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with Ph2PCCCCPPh2 led to a mixture of [{Pt(CH3)2}2(mu-Ph2PC4PPh2)2] (1) and [{Pt(CH3)2}3(mu-Ph2PC4PPh2)3] (2). Reaction of [PtCl2(COD)] with Ph2PCCCCPPh2 led to a mixture of the thermally unstable compounds [{PtCl2}2(mu-Ph2PC4PPh2)2] (3) and [{PtCl2}3(mu-Ph2PC4PPh2)3] (4) which transform into [{PtMe2}2{mu-C8(PPh2)4}] (5) and [{PtMe2}3{mu3-C12(PPh2)6}] (6) containing 8-membered diene-diyne and 12-membered triene-triyne rings, respectively. Compound 2 can be converted to [{PtMe2}3{C12(PPh2)6}] (7) by heating with CuCl at 80 degrees C, while 1 can be heated without significant cycloaddition.     

An Integer Goal Programming Model for Determining Military Aircraft Expenditures

The decision-making process involved in the procurement of military weapon systems, although quite critical and complex, still encompasses the basic characteristics of a capital budgeting problem. Given a number of expenditure items and a limited budget, it is desired to procure those weapon systems that will achieve the goals and objectives of the government and/or military in the most efficient manner. Since these objectives are typically numerous and diverse, traditional decision-making techniques are not applicable. As such, integer goal programming is suggested as a technique to be employed to determine the number of military aircraft to be procured, given conflicting expenditure, budget and effectiveness goals. This method is demonstrated via a case example in which the solution results are presented.     

Molecular recognition and host-guest interactions in complexes of O-bistren,C-bistren,and bisdien

The host-guest relationships of the complexes of the cryptand ligands O-BISTREN and C-BISTREN, and of the analogous macrocyclic ligand BISDIEN are compared. The affinities of their binuclear copper(II) complexes for the bridging ligands (OH^–, F^–) as cascade type guests (i.e., guests of guests) are reported. The ability of the dicobalt(II)-BISDIEN complex to coordinate dioxygen and an additional bifunctional guest simultaneously, leads to the possibility of a new type of catalysis occurring within the cavity of a macrocyclic complex.     

Thermodynamic stability of polyacrylamide and poly(N,N‐dimethyl acrylamide)

Based on theoretical thermodynamic principles, the possibility of environmental degradation of polyacrylamide to its starting monomer was investigated. Theoretical electronic structure studies on the geometry and fragmentation energy of acrylamide and N,N‐dimethyl acrylamide tetramer models were carried out using a first principles gradient corrected density functional approach. Thermal degradation to form a radical would require the cleavage of carbon–carbon bonds in the polymer chain; the energy needed for this cleavage was found to depend on the structure of the repeat unit which ranged from low of 72.5 kcal for a rare head‐to‐head construct to 86.2 kcal for a normal head‐to‐tail polymer construct (therefore, for the cleavage of a normal head‐to‐tail repeat unit, temperatures of approximately 450°C would be required). The thermodynamics of the unzipping, disproportionation, and back‐biting reactions in the resulting radical fragments were also investigated; the back‐biting process was found to require the least energy and provided the most stable radical fragment with a low probability for disproportionation or releasing of monomer to occur. The effect of solvation on the hydrogen‐bonding network in the acrylamide tetramer was studied by adding explicit molecules of water to the tetramer models. The addition of water had a significant effect on the stability of the model polymer slightly stabilizing the head‐to‐head polymer, and slightly destabilizing the head to tail polymer. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantum mechanical description of electrode reactions: Part II. Treatment of compact layer structure at platinum electrodes by means of the extended Hückel molecular orbital method. Pt(111) surfaces

The Iteraltive Extended Hückel Molecular Orbital method has been adapted to calculation of the properties of an electrode and compact layer. Predictions of the stablest orientations, on the Pt(111) surface of species such as H₂O, Pt, OH^?, H, and the halides, F^?, Cl^?, Br^? and I^?, based upon calculation of the total energy corresponding to various internuclear distances, are reported. The calculations correctly predict self-adsorption of Pt on the Pt(111) surface at the face-centered cubic closest-packing position. The H₂O molecule is predicted to locate itself above three adjoining Pt atoms, with the O atom closest to the surface and the H atoms opposite the O. Similar results were obtained for OH^? and the halides. Atomic H, however, is predicted to drop into the plane of centers of the Pt surface atoms, where it would lie between, three adjacent Pt atoms. Application of the method to electrode studies requires only modest amounts of computer time but produces surprisingly reliable qualitative predictions. Compulation of electrochemical quantities such as charge, differential capacitance, surface tension and potential energy as a function of electrode potential will be described in future work.     

Evaluation of docking/scoring approaches: A comparative study based on MMP3 inhibitors

An increasing number of docking/scoring programs are available that use different sampling and scoring algorithms. A reliable scoring function is the crucial element of such approaches. Comparative studies are needed to evaluate their current capabilities. DOCK4 with force field and PMF scoring as well as FlexX were used to evaluate the predictive power of these docking/scoring approaches to identify the correct binding mode of 61 MMP-3 inhibitors in a crystal structure of stromelysin and also to rank them according to their different binding affinities. It was found that DOCK4/PMF scoring performs significantly better than FlexX and DOCK4/FF in both ranking ligands and predicting their binding modes. Most notably, DOCK4/PMF was the only scoring/docking approach that found a significant correlation between binding affinity and predicted score of the docked inhibitors. However, comparing only those cases where the correct binding mode was identified (scoring highest among sampled poses), FlexX showed the best `fine tuning' (lowest rmsd) in predicted binding modes. The results suggest that not so much the sampling procedure but rather the scoring function is the crucial element of a docking program.     

Progress in the Development of Methods for Asymmetric Organic Synthesis

Methods for the enantioselective synthesis of chiral cyclohexane derivatives from aromatic carboxylic acids are presented. Birch reduction-alkylation of chiral benzamides of type 1 occur with high diastereose-lectivities to give 1,4-cyclohexadiene derivatives with quaternary centers located at C(6). Early applications of this chemistry provided target structures with a quaternary center derived from C(1) of the starting benzoic acid derivative. Herein are described 1) the development of a more versatile Birch reduction-alkylation, 2) a practical “asymmetric linkage” between aromatic carboxylic acids and chiral acyclic structures, and 3) asymmetric syntheses of unnatural alkaloids; applications to opiate receptor pharmacology.