Synthesis of Esters of Dioxane Alcohols and Their Performance as Plasticizers for Polyvinyl Chloride Compounds

A procedure was developed for preparing a plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride compounds from the fraction of dioxane alcohols. The main physicochemical properties of the new plasticizer were determined. Items prepared from formulations containing the new plasticizer were fabricated and tested in laboratory.__________Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, Vol. 78, No. 6, 2005, pp. 972–976.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Glazko, Gur’yanova, Levanova, Kozlova, Neiman.     

Λ-Shaped Policies to Schedule Deteriorating Jobs

We study a problem of scheduling deteriorating jobs, i.e. jobs whose processing times are an increasing function of their starting times. We consider the case of a single machine and linear job-independent deterioration. The objective is to minimize the sum of weighted completion times, with weights proportional to the basic processing times. The optimal schedule is shown to be Λ-shaped, i.e. the sequence of the basic processing times has a single local maximum. Moreover, we show that the problem is solved in O(N log N) time. In the last section we test heuristics for the case of general weights.     

Estimation of micropore size distribution in active carbons from adsorption isotherms of water vapor

A possibility of estimation of the micropore size distribution in the carbon adsorbents with the developed micro-and mesoporous structure by analysis of the adsorption isotherms of water vapors was considered. At saturation water condenses in micropores in a form of a weakly compressed liquid. However, water molecules in micropores are packed not so closely as in the liquid because of steric hindrance. Therefore, the real density of water adsorbed in the micropores is lower than that of water adsorbed on an open surface and lower than the density of the normal liquid. An analysis of the adsorption isotherms of water vapors with account for the both opposite effects on the water density gives reliable data on the micropore sizes of the carbon adsorbents. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 40–43, January, 2007.     

Stability of lyophobic sols

The coagulation of positively charged sol of hydrous ferric oxide of different average sizes for potassium sulphate has been studied in the presence of glucose and urea which stabilise the sol. The degree of stabilisation increases with the fineness of dispersed particles. It has been concluded that the adhesive tendency of the surface of dispersed particles decreases in the presence of said non-electrolytes leading to a decrease in the frequency of collisions resulting in stabilisation. The stability ratioW increases in the presence of glucose and urea for the same amount of the coagulant.

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Zusammenfassung Die Koagulation positiv geladener Sole von wäßrigem Ferrioxid verschiedener mittlerer Partikelgrößen mit Kaliumsulfat wird in Gegenwart von Glykose und Harnstoff, die beide das Sol stabilisieren, untersucht. Der Grad der Stabilisierung hängt von der Teilchengröße ab. Es wird geschlossen, daß die Adhäsionstendenz der Oberflächen der dispergierten Partikel in Gegenwart besagter Nichtelektrolyte abnimmt und so zur Abnahme der Kollisionshäufigkeit und damit zur Stabilisierung führt. Das StabilisierungsverhältnisW wächst in Anwesenheit von Glykose und Harnstoff für gleiche Beträge des Koagulators.

     

The bimolecular hydrogen-deuterium exchange behavior of protonated alkyl dipeptides in the gas phase

As part of an ongoing characterization of the intrinsic chemical properties of peptides, thermal hydrogen-deuterium exchange has been studied for a series of fast-atom-bombardment-generated protonated alkyldipeptides and related model compounds in the reaction with D₂O, CH₃OD, and ND₃ in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Despite the very large basicity difference between the dipeptides and the D₂O and CH₃OD exchange reagents, efficient exchange of all active hydrogen atoms occurs. From the kinetic data it appears that exchange of the amino, amide, and hydroxyl hydrogens proceeds with different efficiencies, which implies that the proton in thermal protonated dipeptides is immobile. The selectivity of the exchange at the different basic sites is governed by the nature of both the dipeptide and the exchange reagent. The results indicate that reversible proton transfer in the reaction complexes, which effectuates the deuterium incorporation, is assisted by formation of multiple hydrogen bonds between the reagents. Exchange is considered to proceed via the intermediacy of different competing intermediate complexes, each of which specifically leads to deuterium incorporation at different basic sites. The relative stabilization of the competing intermediate complexes can be related to the relative efficiencies of deuterium incorporation at different basic sites in the dipeptide. For all protonated dipeptides studied, the exchange in the reaction with ND₃ proceeds with unit efficiency, whereas all active hydrogen atoms are exchanged equally efficiently. Evidently specific multiple hydrogen bond formations are far less important in the reversible proton transfers with the relatively basic ammonia, which allows effective randomization of all active hydrogen atoms in the reaction complexes.     

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles with polystyrylcarboxylate ligands

Silver nanoparticles stabilized by polystyrylmonocaboxylate ligands with varied chain lengths are synthesized via the low-temperature reduction of silver polystyrylmonocaboxylate with triethylamine. Silver nanoparticles have small dimensions, narrow size distributions, high stability, and ability to redisperse in nonpolar solvents. The kinetic features of the reaction are studied via high-performance liquid chromatography; UV, visible and IR spectroscopy; and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that the reduction of silver occurs in the cores of reverse micelle species organized by diphilic macromolecules of silver polystyrylmonocarboxylates.     

Design, synthesis, and properties of neoglycolipids based on ethylene glycoles conjugated with lactose as components of targeted delivery systems of biologically active compounds

Synthesis has been developed of a series of new aliphatic lactose derivatives as components of liposomal targeted delivery systems distinguished by the length and the number of aliphatic chains and also by the length of the spacer fragment. The structure of compounds synthesized has been established by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy.     

Parallel computing structures capable of flexible associations and recognition of fuzzy inputs

We experimentally show that computing with attractors leads to fast adaptive behavior in which dynamical associations can be made between different inputs which initially produce sharply distinct outputs. We do so by first defining a set of simple local procedures which allow a computing array to change its state in time so as to produce classical Pavlovian conditioning. We then examine the dynamics of coalescence and dissociation of attractors with a number of quantitative experiments. We also show how such arrays exhibit generalization and differentiation of inputs in their behavior.     

A new scheme for measuring itinerant spin polarizations

An optical method for the measurement of itinerant electron spin polarization is proposed. It is based on the idea that when an itinerant electron is injected into a p-type semiconductor with a valence band spin orbit splitting ? kT, the polarization of the resulting recombination radiation is characteristic of the spin polarization. The feasibility and advantages of this technique are discussed.     

Anomalous increase in the unipolarity of doped lithium niobate crystals in the temperature range 300–400 K

The lithium niobate single crystals doped with B, Zn, and Gd at a content of 0.002–0.44 wt % have been grown. Their domain structure, static and dynamic piezoelectric properties, dielectric properties, and conductivity are investigated over a wide range of frequencies. The dielectric dispersion associated with the Debye-type relaxation process and considerable anomalies in ?′₂₂(T) and conductivity are revealed in the temperature range ～300–400 K. At these temperatures, the piezoelectric modulus d ₃₃ of the initial polydomain crystals LiNbO₃: Gd jumpwise increases up to the values close to those for the undoped single-domain crystal. This increase is accompanied by a substantial change in the etch patterns due to the domain structure of the crystal. The nature of the anomalies observed in LiNbO₃ in the above temperature range is discussed.