GTI-space: the space of generalized topological indices

A new extension of the generalized topological indices (GTI) approach is carried out to represent “simple” and “composite” topological indices (TIs) in an unified way. This approach defines a GTI-space from which both simple and composite TIs represent particular subspaces. Accordingly, simple TIs such as Wiener, Balaban, Zagreb, Harary and Randić connectivity indices are expressed by means of the same GTI representation introduced for composite TIs such as hyper-Wiener, molecular topological index (MTI), Gutman index and reverse MTI. Using GTI-space approach we easily identify mathematical relations between some composite and simple indices, such as the relationship between hyper-Wiener and Wiener index and the relation between MTI and first Zagreb index. The relation of the GTI-space with the sub-structural cluster expansion of property/activity is also analysed and some routes for the applications of this approach to QSPR/QSAR are also given.     

An advanced multivariate statistical approach to study coastal sediment data

The present paper deals with the application of classical and fuzzy principal components analysis to a large data set from coastal sediment analysis. Altogether 126 sampling sites from the Atlantic Coast of the USA are considered and at each site 16 chemical parameters are measured. It is found that four latent factors are responsible for the data structure (“natural”, “anthropogenic”, “bioorganic”, and “organic anthropogenic”). Additionally, estimating the scatter plots for factor scores revealed the similarity between the sampling sites. Geographical and urban factors are found to contribute to the sediment chemical composition. It is shown that the use of fuzzy PCA helps for better data interpretation especially in case of outliers.     

Predicting densities of nitrocubanes using partial orders

The nitrocubane substitution network shows the pattern by which single nitro-substitutions starting from cubane lead ultimately to octanitrocubane. Of the 22 member species, densities have been experimentally measured for only 8, and we utilise these to estimate the densities of the other 14 members. The network is viewed as a partially ordered set (or poset), which is used for posetic interpolative methods, which in turn differ from conventional QSAR/QSPR procedures based directly on molecular structures. The posetic methods utilised are the “cluster-expansion” and the “splinoid” ones, which turn out to be stable procedures as assessed by the leave-one-out cross-validation technique.     

Evaluation of high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of phenolic compounds in pear horticultural cultivars

Summary An analytical evaluation of an HPLC method with diode array detection to separate and quantify polyphenolic compounds from pears has been made. The method was applied to the quantitative analysis of phenolics from five pear horticultural cultivars (“Agua”, “Blanquilla”, “Conference”, “Pasagrana” and “Decana”) in both peel and pulp matrices and evaluated for precision and accuracy. Precision was taken as the reproducibility in peak area of the polyphenols of interest as well as in the slope of calibration graphs. Values ranged 2–5%. Accuracy was evaluated by recovery of all polyphenolic compounds from both peel and pulp in all pears investigated. Accuracy values ranged 92–102%, and were independent of the polyphenolic structure, horticultural cultivar and matrix. Identification was by comparing retention times and UV spectra with those of standards when commercially available. When not available commercially, provisional identification was according to spectral characteristics as well as from isolation and hydrolysis data. Application of the method revealed differences between peel and pulp in all cases studied; the higher levels of phenolics were found in the peels. “Decana” and “Pasagrana” cultivars showed the highest phenolic content compounds whereas “Conference” showed the lowest.     

peri-Naphthylenediamines

Tertiary alcohols containing the 4,5-bis(dimethylamino)-1-naphthyl group were synthesized. The carbocations that formed from α-methyl-containing alcohols in an acidic medium underwent smooth El elimination to give the corresponding unsaturated derivatives of the “proton sponge” in good yields. At the same time, the carbocation generated from 4-(α-hydroxybenzhydryl)-1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene was converted into a benzo-[a]fluorene derivative as a result of a complex reaction which has been previously unknown in the chemistry of “proton sponges.” The structure of the latter derivative was established by X-ray diffraction analysis. For Part 26, see Ref. 1; this paper simultaneously presents Part 5 of the series “Resonance-stabilized α-naphthylmethyl carbocations and derived spiro compounds;” for Part 4, see Ref. 2. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1103–1108, June, 2000.     

Comparison of “bottom-up” and “top-down” strategies for the estimation of the uncertainty in organic elemental analysis

The estimation of uncertainty in organic elemental analysis for C, H, N and S is reported. Both “bottom up” and “top down” strategies are used for uncertainty calculations. The bottom up approach used the results of C, H, N, and S obtained from the homogeneity study of two pure chemicals (toluene-4-sulfonamide and 4(6)-methyl-2-thiouracil). Two calibration systems, K factor and calibration curve, were applied in this study and no significant differences were obtained. For the “top down” approach, we used the data obtained from a proficiency test on both pure chemicals from among 45 Spanish laboratories. Both approaches are compared and discussed below.     

Origin of “cold” water molecules in the composition of low-molecular-mass products of the mechanical fracture of poly(methyl methacrylate)

A hypothesis on the correlation between the origin of “cold” (∼53 K) water molecules released by a growing crack and a low (∼123 K) temperature of stretched and then thermoelastically cooled polymer chains that ruptured at the crack top is advanced. A mechanism behind the formation of “cold” water molecules is suggested. It includes their “soft” desorption due to mechanical action onto thermoelastically cooled side groups with adsorbed cooled water molecules from an unloading wave that is induced by the rupture of the main chain and that travels along it.     

Characterization of a covalent triazine-humic acid conjugate by gas chromatography

The aim of the described method was the characterization of a “atrazine-mercaptopropionic acid” humic acid conjugate, which was required for the calibration of immunoassays to determine bound residues. In order to estimate the amount of bound triazine, an oxidative nucleophilic substitution reaction of the covalently linked “atrazine-mercaptopropionic acid” to a new triazine derivative “atrazine-methoxyethanol” was performed. This cleavage product was quantified by gas chromatography. The conditions for this cleavage procedure were optimized and applied to the “atrazine-mercaptopropionic acid” humic acid conjugate and to a humic acid blank. The amount of bound “atrazine-mercaptopropionic acid” was calculated to 16.6 ± 2.5 μmol triazine per gram humic acid, which is equivalent to 0.39 ± 0.07% atrazine. Received: 7 August 1997 / Accepted: 12 September 1997     

Chemometrics in the assessment of the sustainable development rule implementation

The sustainable development rule implementation is tested by the application of chemometrics in the field of environmental pollution. A data set consisting of Cd, Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Fe content in bottom sediment samples collected in the Odra River (Germany/Poland) is treated using cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and source apportionment techniques. Cluster analysis clearly shows that pollution on the German bank is higher than on the Polish bank. Two latent factors extracted by PCA explain over 88 % of the total variance of the system, allowing identification of the dominant “semi-natural” and “anthropogenic” pollution sources in the river ecosystem. The complexity of the system is proved by MLR analysis of the absolute principal component scores (APCS). The apportioning clearly shows that Cd, Pb, Cr, Zn and Cu participate in an “anthropogenic” source profile, whereas Fe and Mn are “semi-natural”. Multiple regression analysis indicates that for particular elements not described by the model, the amounts vary from 4.2 % (Mn) to 13.1 % (Cr). The element Ni participates to some extent to each source and, in this way, is neither pure “semi-natural” nor pure “anthropogenic”. Apportioning indicates that the whole heavy metal pollution in the investigated river reach is 12510.45 mg·kg⁻¹. The contribution of pollutants originating from “anthropogenic sources” is 9.04 % and from “semi-natural” sources is 86.53 %.     

“Meta Elimination,” a Diagnostic Fragmentation in Mass Spectrometry

The diagnostic value of the “ortho effect” for unknown identification by mass spectrometry is well known. Here, we report the existence of a novel “meta effect,” which adds to the repertoire of useful mass spectrometric fragmentation mechanisms. For example, the meta-specific elimination pathway described in this report enables unequivocal identification of meta isomers from ortho and para isomers of carboxyanilides. The reaction follows a specific path to eliminate a molecule of meta-benzyne, from the anion produced after the initial decarboxylation of the precursor. Consequently, in the CID spectra of carboxyanilides, a peak for the (R-CO-NH)^– anion is observed only for the meta isomers. For example, the peaks observed at m/z 58, 86, 120, 128, and 170 from acetamido-, butamido-, benzamido, heptamido-, and decanamido-benzoates, respectively, were specific only to the spectra of meta isomers.     

Molecular docking and QSAR of aplyronine A and analogues: potent inhibitors of actin

Actin-binding natural products have been identified as a potential basis for the design of cancer therapeutic agents. We report flexible docking and QSAR studies on aplyronine A analogues. Our findings show the macrolide ‘tail’ to be fundamental for the depolymerisation effect of actin-binding macrolides and that it is the tail which forms the initial interaction with the actin rather than the macrocycle, as previously believed. Docking energy scores for the compounds were highly correlated with actin depolymerisation activity. The 3D-QSAR models were predictive, with the best model giving a q ² value of 0.85 and a r ² of 0.94. Results from the docking simulations and the interpretation from QSAR “coeff*stdev” contour maps provide insight into the binding mechanism of each analogue and highlight key features that influence depolymerisation activity. The results herein may aid the design of a putative set of analogues that can help produce efficacious and tolerable anti-tumour agents. Finally, using the best QSAR model, we have also made genuine predictions for an independent set of recently reported aplyronine analogues.     

Comparison of electronegativities of groups of certain organic and inorganic molecules

For functional groups containing oxygen and sulfur atoms qualitative relationships were obtained and a row of electronegativities was set up within the limits of the “quantum theory of atoms in molecules.” Possibilities of forecasting composition-property correlations on a specified basis were discussed.     

Visualisation of proficiency test exercise results in Kiri plots

A novel graphical method (‘Kiri plots’) for the presentation of proficiency test exercise results is presented. The Kiri plot visualises the evaluation of the proficiency test results based on three statistical tests (the z score, the zeta score and the relative uncertainty outlier test) by defining six zones including a central “in agreement” zone.     

Double hexagonal chains with maximal Hosoya index and minimal Merrifield–Simmons index

It is well known that the two graph invariants, “the Hosoya index” and “the Merrifield–Simmons index” are important ones in structural chemistry. The extremal hexagonal chains with respect to the Hosoya index and Merrifield–Simmons index are determined by Gutman and Zhang (J. Math. Chem., 12 (1993) 197–210, 27 (2000) 319–329 and J. Sys. Sci. Math. Sci., 18 (4) (1998) 460–465). In this paper, we will consider a type of the pericondensed hexagonal system. The double hexagonal chains with maximal Hosoya index and minimal Merrifield Simmons index are determined.