Setting local rank constraints by orthogonal projections for image resolution analysis: Application to the determination of a low dose pharmaceutical compound

Raman chemical imaging provides chemical and spatial information about pharmaceutical drug product. By using resolution methods on acquired spectra, the objective is to calculate pure spectra and distribution maps of image compounds. With multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares, constraints are used to improve the performance of the resolution and to decrease the ambiguity linked to the final solution. Non negativity and spatial local rank constraints have been identified as the most powerful constraints to be used.     

Spectroscopies and Electron Microscopies Unravel the Origin of the First Colour Photographs

The first colour photographs were created by a process introduced by Edmond Becquerel in 1848. The nature of these photochromatic images colours motivated a debate between scientists during the XIX^th century, which is still not settled. We present the results of chemical analysis (EDX, HAXPES and EXAFS) and morphology studies (SEM, STEM) aiming at explaining the optical properties of the photochromatic images (UV-visible spectroscopy and low loss EELS). We rule out the two hypotheses (pigment and interferences) that have prevailed since 1848, respectively based on variations in the oxidation degree of the compound forming the sensitized layer and periodically spaced photolytic silver planes. A study of the silver nanoparticles dispersions contained in the coloured layers showed specific localizations and sizes distributions of the nanoparticles for each colour. These results allow us to formulate a plasmonic hypothesis on the origin of the photochromatic images colours.     

Unprecedented Reverse Volume Expansion in Spin-Transition Crystals

The current craze for research around the spin crossover phenomenon can be justified to some extent by the mechanical properties due to the decrease of volume associated with the transition of the metal ion from the HS state to the LS state. As demonstrated here, the molecular complex [Fe(PM-pBrA)₂(NCS)₂] exhibits, on the contrary, an increase of the unit-cell volume from HS to LS. This counter-intuitive and unprecedented behavior that concerns both the thermal and the photoexcited spin conversions is revealed by a combination of single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction complemented by magnetic measurements. Interestingly, this abnormal volume change appears concomitant with the wide rotation of a phenyl ring which induces a drastic modification, though reversible, of the structural packing within the crystal. In addition, the light-induced HS state obtained through the Light-Induced Excited Spin-State Trapping shows a remarkably high relaxation temperature, namely T(LIESST), of 109 K, one of the highest so far reported. The above set of quite unusual characteristics opens up new fields of possibilities within the development of spin crossover materials.     

Learning chordal extensions

Journal of Global Optimization - A highly influential ingredient of many techniques designed to exploit sparsity in numerical optimization is the so-called chordal extension of a graph...     

Lanthanide Complexes with Multidentate Oxime Ligands as Single‐Molecule Magnets and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Fixation Systems

The synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of five lanthanide complexes with multidentate oxime ligands are described. Complexes 1 and 2 ( 1 : [La₂(pop)₂(acac)₄(CH₃OH)], 2 : [Dy₂(pop)(acac)₅]) are synthesized from the 2‐hydroxyimino‐N‐[1‐(2‐pyridyl)ethylidene]propanohydrazone (Hpop) ligand, while 3 , 4 , and 5 ( 3 : [Dy₂(naphthsaoH)₂(acac)₄H(OH)]?0.85 CH₃CN?1.58 H₂O; 4 : [Tb₂(naphthsaoH)₂(acac)₄H(OH)]?0.52 CH₃CN?1.71 H₂O; 5 : [La₆(CO₃)₂(naphthsao)₅ (naphthsaoH)_0.5(acac)₈(CO₃)_0.5(CH₃OH)_2.76H_5.5(H₂O)_1.24]?2.39 CH₃CN?0.12 H₂O) contain 1‐(1‐hydroxynaphthalen‐2‐yl)‐ethanone oxime (naphthsaoH₂). In 1 – 4 , dinuclear [Ln₂] complexes crystallize, whereas hexanuclear La^III complex 5 is formed after fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Dy^III‐based complexes 2 and 3 display single‐molecule‐magnet properties with energy barriers of 27 and 98 K, respectively. The presence of a broad and unsymmetrical relaxation mode observed in the ac susceptibility data for 3 suggest two different dynamics of the magnetization which might be a consequence of independent relaxation processes of the two different Dy³⁺ ions.     

BODIPY: A Highly Versatile Platform for the Design of Bimodal Imaging Probes

In molecular imaging, multimodal imaging agents can provide complementary information, for improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis or enhancing patient management. In particular, optical/nuclear imaging may find important preclinical and clinical applications. To simplify the preparation of dual‐labeled imaging agents, we prepared versatile monomolecular multimodal imaging probe (MOMIP) platforms containing both a fluorescent dye (BODIPY) and a metal chelator (polyazamacrocycle). One of the MOMIP was conjugated to a cyclopeptide (i.e., octreotide) and radiolabeled with ¹¹¹In. In vitro and in vivo studies of the resulting bioconjugate were conducted, highlighting the potential of these BODIPY‐based bimodal probes. This work also confirmed that the biovector and/or the bimodal probes must be chosen carefully, due to the impact of the MOMIP on the overall properties of the resulting imaging agent.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of the Halaven C14–C26 Fragment from D‐Quinic Acid: Crystallization‐Induced Diastereoselective Transformation of an α‐Methyl Nitrile

Crystallization‐induced diastereoselective transformation (CIDT) of an α‐methyl nitrile completes an entirely non‐chromatographic synthesis of the halichondrin B C14–C26 stereochemical array. The requisite α‐methyl nitrile substrate is derived from D ‐quinic acid through a series of substrate‐controlled stereoselective reactions via a number of crystalline intermediates that benefit from a rigid polycyclic template. Therefore, all four stereogenic centers in the Halaven C14–C26 fragment were derived from the single chiral source D ‐quinic acid.     

Distribution of free amino acids,polyphenols and sugars of Ziziphus jujuba pulps harvested from plants grown in Tunisia

Ziziphus jujuba pulps are very much appreciated by the inhabitants and have been recently exported. This article reports on the chemical composition (amino acids, polyphenols and sugars) of the pulps of four Z. jujuba ecotypes (Choutrana, Mahdia, Mahres and Sfax). The major amino acids identified were proline, aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Among these, proline was the most abundant amino acid (17.4 mol). Considerable differences in total phenolic contents (15.85 mg/L) were found. Predominant phenols identified by using HPLC were rutin (1.09 mg/L) and chlorogenic acid (2.57 mg/100 g). Sugars isolated from Ziziphus pulps were found at a rate of 43.52%. Using HPLC method, three sugars from the pulp extract were identified: glucose, galactose and sucrose. The Mahdia ecotype was the richest in these sugars with 0.45, 136.51 and 113.28 mg/L, respectively.     

Lego-like spheres and tori

Given a connected surface \({\mathbb {F}}^2\) with Euler characteristic \(\chi \) and three integers \(b>a\ge 1<k\), an \((\{a,b\};k)\)-\({\mathbb {F}}^2\) is a \({\mathbb {F}}^2\)-embedded graph, having vertices of degree only k and only a- and b-gonal faces. The main case are (geometric) fullerenes (5, 6; 3)-\({\mathbb {S}}^2\). By \(p_a\), \(p_b\) we denote the number of a-gonal, b-gonal faces. Call an \((\{a,b\};k)\)-map lego-admissible if either \(\frac{p_b}{p_a}\), or \(\frac{p_a}{p_b}\) is integer. Call it lego-like if it is either \(ab^f\)-lego map, or \(a^fb\)-lego map, i.e., the face-set is partitioned into \(\min (p_a,p_b)\) isomorphic clusters, legos, consisting either one a-gon and \(f=\frac{p_b}{p_a}\,b\)-gons, or, respectively, \(f=\frac{p_a}{p_b}\,a\)-gons and one b-gon; the case \(f=1\) we denote also by ab. Call a \((\{a,b\};k)\)-map elliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic if the curvature \(\kappa _b=1+\frac{b}{k}-\frac{b}{2}\) of b-gons is positive, zero or negative, respectively. There are 14 lego-like elliptic \((\{a,b\};k)\)-\({\mathbb {S}}^2\) with \((a,b)\ne (1,2)\). No \((\{1,3\};6)\)-\({\mathbb {S}}^2\) is lego-admissible. For other 7 families of parabolic \((\{a,b\};k)\)-\({\mathbb {S}}^2\), each lego-admissible sphere with \(p_a\le p_b\) is \(a^fb\) and an infinity (by Goldberg–Coxeter operation) of \(ab^f\)-spheres exist. The number of hyperbolic \(ab^f\,(\{a,b\};k)\)-\({\mathbb {S}}^2\) with \((a,b)\ne (1,3)\) is finite. Such \(a^f b\)-spheres with \(a\ge 3\) have \((a,k)=(3,4),(3,5),(4,3),(5,3)\) or (3, 3); their number is finite for each b, but infinite for each of 5 cases (a, k). Any lego-admissible \((\{a,b\};k)\)-\({\mathbb {S}}^2\) with \(p_b=2\le a\) is \(a^f b\). We list, explicitly or by parameters, lego-admissible \((\{a,b\};k)\)-maps among: hyperbolic spheres, spheres with \(a\in \{1,2\}\), spheres with \(p_b\in \{2,\frac{p_a}{2}\}\), Goldberg–Coxeter’s spheres and \((\{a,b\};k)\)-tori. We present extensive computer search of lego-like spheres: 7 parabolic (\(p_b\)-dependent) families, basic examples of all 5 hyperbolic \(a^fb\) (b-dependent) families with \(a\ge 3\), and lego-like \((\{a,b\};3)\)-tori.