Lifting Surface in Subsonic Unsteady Regime

The paper refers to the solution of the integral equation for the acceleration (or pressure) potential for the study of subsonic linearized unsteady flow in view of aeroelastic applications. The case considered is relevant to a trapezoidal wing infinitely thin surface without discontinuities. As is well known [1, 2], the kernel of the integral equation exhibits three singularities, two of which are integrable in elementary form, whereas, for the third one integration in principal part according to Hadamard's rule is necessary. The kernel is therefore reworked in such a way that all the singularities are separated from the regular part, and eventually the discretization is performed in such a way that only the regular part is to be recalculated for each new value of the reduced frequency. Convergence tests, comparison with other methods of solution, and time saving associated with the technique of separation are also shown.Sommario. II lavoro tratta la risoluzione del problema relativo alla equazione integrale nel potenziale di accelerazione (o di pressione) per lo studio di una corrente subsonica linearizzata nonstazionaria, in vista di applicazioni aeroelastiche. Il caso considerato è quello di una superficie alare a pianta trapezoidale in assenza di discontinuità di spessore infinitesimo. Come è noto [1, 2], il nucleo della equazione integrale in parola presenta tre singolarità, due sole delle quali sono integrabili in forma elementare, (o riconducibili ad essa), mentre per la terza è necessario far ricorso alla integrazione in parte principale alla Hadamard. Il nucleo stesso viene quindi rielaborato in modo da isolare tutte le singolarità dalla componente regolare del nucleo; si procede così alla discretizzazione dell' equazione integrale, e, per ogni valore della frequenza ridotta, va ricalcolata solo la parte regolare della matrice risolvente. Vengono poi effettuati tests di convergenza, confronti con altri metodi di soluzione, analisi sui tempi di calcolo e risparmio di tempo di calcolo dovuto alla tecnica di separazione.     

Synthesis and aggregation behaviour of a new sultaine surfactant

The aggregation properties of a new sultaine surfactant have been studied in buffered aqueous solution at pH 7.4 under controlled condition of osmolarity. Spontaneously formed sultaine vesicles with a mean diameter of about 1 μm can be observed by optical microscopy. The phase behaviour of the surfactant has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Nile Red fluorescence. Two critical vesicular concentrations (CVC(1) and CVC(2)) have been fluorimetrically measured, by using pyrene and Nile Red as the fluorescent probes. The two populations of vesicles behave differently as a consequence of their size. The stability of extruded large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) formed slightly above the CVC(1) has been evaluated in the temperature range 25-75°C by following the rate of spontaneous release of entrapped 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (CF). The stability of the same vesicles at 70°C has also been investigated under osmotic stress obtained by adding NaCl or sucrose to the bulk solution. At a sultaine concentration above the CVC(2) LUV tend to associate and form stable larger closely packed aggregates as suggested by Dynamic Laser Light Scattering and rheological measurements.     

On the number of points of bounded height¶on arithmetic projective spaces

Let K be a number field and its ring of integers. Let be a Hermitian vector bundle over . In the first part of this paper we estimate the number of points of bounded height in (generalizing a result by Schanuel). We give then some applications: we estimate the number of hyperplanes and hypersurfaces of degree d>1 in of bounded height and containing a fixed linear subvariety and we estimate the number of points of height, with respect to the anticanonical line bundle, less then T (when T goes to infinity) of ℙ ^N _K blown up at a linear subspace of codimension two. Received: 20 February 1998 / Revised version: 9 November 1998     

On the canonical degrees of curves in varieties of general type

A widely believed conjecture predicts that curves of bounded geometric genus lying on a variety of general type form a bounded family. One may even ask whether the canonical degree of a curve C in a variety of general type is bounded from above by some expression aχ(C) +?b, where a and b are positive constants, with the possible exceptions corresponding to curves lying in a strict closed subset (depending on a and b). A theorem of Miyaoka proves this for smooth curves in minimal surfaces, with a >?3/2. A conjecture of Vojta claims in essence that any constant a >?1 is possible provided one restricts oneself to curves of bounded gonality. We show by explicit examples coming from the theory of Shimura varieties that in general, the constant a has to be at least equal to the dimension of the ambient variety. We also prove the desired inequality in the case of compact Shimura varieties.     

Structure and Properties of Electrochemically Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solution by High-Resolution Techniques

The aim of this work was to deeply investigate the structure and properties of electrochemically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through high-resolution techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Zeta Potential measurements, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Strong brightness, tendency to generate nanoclusters containing an odd number of atoms, and absence of the free silver ions in solution were observed. The research also highlighted that the chemical and physical properties of the AgNPs seemed to be related to their peculiar oxidative state as suggested by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) analyses. Finally, the MTT assay tested the low cytotoxicity of the investigated AgNPs.     

The effects of cationic and zwitterionic micelles on the keto-enol interconversion of 2-phenylacetylfuran and 2-phenylacetylthiophene

The presence of micelles from cationic and zwitterionic surfactants increases the apparent acidity of either the keto and the enol forms of 2-phenylacetylfuran (2PAF) and 2-phenylacetylthiophene (2PAT). This effect can be attributed to the affinity of the surfactant micelles for the enolate of the two substrates. Although the equilibrium constants for keto-enol tautomerism of 2PAF and 2PAT, K_T=[enol]/[ketone]=pK_a^KH−pK_a^EH, do not change much, the presence of micelles provides an efficient method for producing appreciable quantities of the enolates under mild experimental conditions and in aqueous solutions. The obtained rate-profiles for the ketonisation reactions and the consistency of the kinetic rate constants over a wide range of ‘pH’ in several overlapping buffers indicate that the pH of the aqueous pseudophase (but not that at the micellar surface) can be controlled by buffers. Moreover, the increase of the acidity and the decrease of the ‘water’ rate of ketonisation of the enols of 2PAF and 2PAT upon addition of surfactants allow the uncovery of a metal ion catalysed pathway that cannot be observed in absence of surfactants.     

Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Highly Viscous Media: A Comparison between the Dispersive Agents [BMIM][BF4], L121, and Triton X‐100

Dispersions of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been prepared by using the room‐temperature ionic liquid [BMIM][BF₄] (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate), the triblock copolymer Pluronic L121 [poly(ethylene oxide)₅‐poly(propylene oxide)₆₈‐poly(ethylene oxide)₅] and the non‐ionic surfactant Triton X‐100 (TX100) in the pure state. The size of the SWNTs aggregates and the dispersion degree in the three viscous systems depend on the sonication time, as highlighted by UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy and optical microscopy analysis. A nonlinear increase in conductivity can be observed as a function of the SWNTs loading, as suggested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The generation of a three‐dimensional network of SWNTs showing a viscoelastic gel‐like behavior above a critical percolation concentration has been found at 25 °C in all the investigated systems by oscillatory rheology measurements.     

Strategies for improving the water solubility of new antitumour nitronaphthylbutadiene derivatives

Different nitronaphthylbutadienes have been previously proved to have antitumour activity. The main drawback of these derivatives is their low water solubility. With the aim of facilitating the administration of these new drugs we have synthesized the hexyl (2Z,4E)-2-methylsulfanyl-5-(1-naphthyl)-4-nitro-2,4-pentadienoate analogue (1-Naph-NHCB) which is demonstrated to be easily included into cyclodextrins and/or entrapped into liposomes. Its antitumour activity was revealed to be almost comparable with that of the previously studied methyl analogue ester (1-Naph-NMCB). On the other hand, in vitro studies with different cancer cell lines showed that the cytotoxic activity of both 1-Naph-NMCB and 1-Naph-NHCB were fully preserved and in some cases also enhanced when entrapped into liposomal carriers.     

A study of the OH- -induced beta-elimination reactions of 2-(4-chloroethyl)pyridine, 2-(2-chloroethyl)pyridine, 1-methyl-2-(4-chloroethyl)pyridinium iodide and 1-methyl-2-(2-chloroethyl)pyridinium iodide in acetonitrile/water

Second-order rate constants have been determined for the title reactions in OH(-)/H(2)O and in OH(-)/ (CH(3)CN/H(2)O) [30/70, 60/40, and 85/15 (v/v) mixtures]. A relatively small increase in reactivity is observed for the four substrates upon increasing the percentage of CH(3)CN in the solvent mixture. The methyl activating factors (/) are also slightly affected by the solvent composition. On the other hand, the high acceleration of the reaction by methylation of the pyridine ring amounts to 10(4)-10(6) according to an E1cb mechanism.