Calculation of cyclodextrin-mediated enantiomer ratio shifting of racem norgestrel in aqueous solutions

Enantioselective solubility of rac-norgestrel was found in the presence of γ-cyclodextrin or hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin. In both cases the efficacious enantiomer was dissolved in greater extent. Calculating the molar absorptivity and molar ellipticity spectra of the γ- and hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin aqueous complexes, a simple and rapid direct circular dichroism (CD) spectrometric method was obtained for the determination of the enantiomer ratio in aqueous solutions.     

Enthalpies of sorption of linear hydrocarbons (C2–C8) and chloroderivatives of methane and ethylene on the surface of hydrotalcite

Differential molar adsorption enthalpies (DMAE) were determined by gas chromatographic measurements of specific retention volume of vapors on the surface of two forms of Mg–Al hydrotalcite. A linear dependence of the DMAE on the number of the carbon atoms in hydrocarbons was observed for both form of hydrotalcite. The dependence of the differential molar adsorption enthalpies on the number of chlorine atoms in organic molecules is discussed. A linear dependence of DMAE on the molecular weight of chloroderivatives of methane and ethylene on the basic form in an order monochloromethane < dichloromethane < trichloromethane or vinylidene chloride < 1,1-dichloroethylene < trichloroethylene was found.     

Calorimetric study of methane interaction with supported Pd catalysts

As supported palladium oxide catalysts present the best performances in methane combustion in lean conditions, microcalorimetric studies of the interaction between methane and palladium oxide or metallic palladium supported on Al₂O₃, ZrO₂ and BN have been performed at 673 K. At this temperature methane reduced the palladium oxide, and the heat of reduction of palladium oxide was shown to depend on the dispersion and on the support. The lowest heats of reduction corresponded to the highest rates of methane combustion. Moreover methane reforming occurred on metallic palladium, producing hydrogen, and again methane decomposition was shown to depend on the support. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A new technique for obtaining the activation energy distribution of a relaxing system

This paper describes a robust and fast fitting procedure applicable for relaxing processes that cannot be understood as a discrete sum of single processes but require an activation energy distribution. The method is based on a set of closed-form expressions that allow the computation of the relaxation parameters directly from the isochronal curves obtained experimentally. The usefulness of this method is checked by analyzing the isochronal curves given by a theoretical energy distribution and the magnetic disaccommodation spectra observed in yttrium iron garnet (YIG) samples. PACS 02.60.Ed; 75.60.Lr; 75.50.Gg     

New Interfaces for Coupling TLC with TOF SIMS

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Two interfaces have been tested for coupling thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry...     

Asymptotic behaviour of the least squares estimator of the mean of AR(1) models

The aim of the paper is to investigate the limit behaviour of the least squares estimator of the shift parameter of nearly unstable, nearly stable, and nearly explosive AR(1) models. Both zero start and stationary cases are treated. Connection with the maximum likelihood estimator of the shift parameter of continuous time AR(1) processes is also discussed.     

Algebraic Formulation of Quantum Decoherence

An algebraic formalism for quantum decoherence in systems with continuous evolution spectrum is introduced. A certain subalgebra, dense in the characteristic algebra of the system, is defined in such a way that Riemann–Lebesgue theorem can be used to explain decoherence in a well defined final pointer basis.     

Fluorimetric determination of the levels of urinary neopterin and serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the nonagenarians

Twelve self-sustaining nonagenarians, 10 women and two men, aged 94+/-3 years, and eight institutionalised nonagenarians, eight women, aged 91+/-1 year as well as 11 control subjects, seven women and four men, aged 84+/-5 years entered the study. Urinary neopterin, an indicator of systemic immune activation, and serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a marker of lipoperoxidation, were determined initially, and collection of the blood and urine samples was repeated at 3-month interval. Neopterin was measured in the urine specimens by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. A C(18) reversed-phase column 3.3x150 mm, 5 mum-diameter packing Separon SGX was used. Potassium phosphate buffer (15 mmol l(-1), pH 6.4) at flow rate of 0.8 ml min(-1) was used as mobile phase. After centrifugation (5 min, 1300xg) and diluting 100 mul of urine specimens with 1.0 ml of mobile phase containing 2 g of disodium-EDTA per litre, a 20 mul sample was injected on a column. Neopterin was identified by its native fluorescence (353 nm excitation, 438 nm emission). Creatinine was determined by Jaffé kinetic reaction after dilution of sample 1:50 (v/v). The concentration of neopterin in urine was expressed as neopterin/creatinine ratio (mumol mol(-1) creatinine). TBARS were determined spectrofluorometrically using LS-5 spectrofluorimeter (excitation wavelength 528 nm, emission wavelength 558 nm) after extraction with n-butanol treatment with thiobarbituric acid. The significance of differences between nonagenarians and control group was examined by ANOVA-Kruskal-Wallis tests, using statistical software NCSS 6.0.21 (Kaysville, UT, 1996). The decision on significance was based on P=0.05. Urinary neopterin was significantly higher in institutionalised compared to self-sustaining subjects and controls (625+/-565 vs. 203+/-63 mumol mol(-1) creatinine, and 198+/-128 mumol mol(-1) creatinine, respectively, P=0.006). The serum TBARS were higher in both groups of nonagenarians (3.23+/-1.16 mumol l(-1) and 2.69+/-0.39 vs. 2.12+/-0.83 mumol l(-1) for the self-sustaining, institutionalised and controls, respectively, P=0.023). We conclude that the fluorimetric determinations of urinary neopterin and serum TBARS can be useful for the monitoring health status in the elderly patients.     

The Calogero–Bogoyavlenskii–Schiff Equation in 2+1 Dimensions

We use the classical and nonclassical methods to obtain symmetry reductions and exact solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional integrable Calogero–Bogoyavlenskii–Schiff equation. Although this (2+1)-dimensional equation arises in a nonlocal form, it can be written as a system of differential equations and, in potential form, as a fourth-order partial differential equation. The classical and nonclassical methods yield some exact solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional equation that involve several arbitrary functions and hence exhibit a rich variety of qualitative behavior.