Glassy dynamics of water at interface with biomolecules: A Mode Coupling Theory test

We study the slow dynamics of hydration water upon cooling in two different biological aqueous solutions, one containing a molecule of lysozyme and another with trehalose molecules. In particular we test if the glassy behaviour of these solutions fulfils the predictions of the popular Mode Coupling Theory of glassy dynamics. In particular we test the Time Temperature Superposition Principle and the matching of the exponents of the theory. Our results confirm that this theory is able to describe the dynamical behaviour of supercooled water also in non ideal cases as the ones under investigation in the region of mild supercooling.     

Combined application of DP4+ and ANN-PRA to determine the relative configuration of natural products: The alpha-bisabol case study

The combination of computational methods and experimental data from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a considerably valuable tool in the elucidation of new natural product structures and, also, in the structural revision of previously reported compounds. Until recently, only classical statistical parameters were used, for example, linear correlation coefficient (R²), mean absolute error (MAE), or root mean square deviation (RMSD), as a way to statistically “validate” the structure pointed out by experimental NMR spectra. Regarding the resolution of the relative configuration of organic molecules, novel tools were available in the last few years to assist in the NMR elucidation process. The most relevant are DP4+, which is based on a Bayesian probability, and ANN-PRA, which is based on artificial neural networks. The combined application of these tools has become the most accurate and important alternative to solve structural and stereochemical problems in natural product chemistry. Therefore, herein, in this case study, we intended to promote these novel tools, exploring the strengths and limitations of each approach in resolving the relative configuration of the sesquiterpene alpha-bisabol. We also highlighted the advantages of the complementary use of H- and C-DP4+ to obtain optimal results in the differentiation of the stereoisomers, validating the proposal with ANN-PRA method.     

Toward the thermodynamic modeling of reacting ionic mixtures

Based on the Müller–Liu entropy principle and the axioms of constitutive theory, a continuum model for reacting ionic mixtures is presented. The influence of microscopic structure on the mixture dynamics is taken into account through the thermodynamics of polar materials. Moreover, mechanical balance laws for classical mixtures under influence of electromagnetic fields and quasi-electrostatic Maxwell’s equations are briefly shown. With an appropriate constitutive model for a diluted and isotropic mixture of non-volatile solutes and by considering the same temperature field for all constituents, constraints on constitutive quantities are imposed, and the conditions for the thermodynamic equilibrium are established from the entropy principle. Furthermore, the nonlinear nature of chemical reactions as well as the reciprocal nature of some irreversible processes is highlighted. Unlike the classical approach for electrolyte solutions, the current constitutive model incorporates thermoelectric and electro-kinetic phenomena into the phenomenological equations, providing a more comprehensive approach of electrolyte solutions dynamics.     

Cu2O spheres as an efficient source of catalytic Cu(I) species for performing azide-alkyne click reactions

We report herein the high yield synthesis of Cu₂O spheres displaying well-defined shapes and monodisperse sizes that could be employed as the source of highly catalytic active Cu(I) species towards click reactions between several of alkynes and azides to produce a variety of 1,2,3-triazoles under ligand-free and ambient conditions (in an open reactor). The utilization of Cu₂O spheres enabled superior performance as compared to a conventional protocol in which CuSO₄ is employed in combination with sodium ascorbate as the catalyst system. In addition, the compounds were obtained in synthetically useful yields, and seven of them have not been previously reported. We believe the results reported herein shed new insights into the optimization of activity and versatility of click reactions towards the synthesis of target molecules in environmentally friendly conditions.     

Method Validation and Evaluation of Safrole Persistence in Cowpea Beans Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography

Bioinsecticides are regarded as important alternatives for controlling agricultural pests. However, few studies have determined the persistence of these compounds in stored grains. This study aimed at optimizing and validating a fast and effective method for extraction and quantification of residues of safrole (the main component of Piper hispidinervum essential oil) in cowpea beans. It also sought to assess the persistence of this substance in the grains treated by contact and fumigation. The proposed method used headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Factors such as temperature, extraction time and type of fiber were assessed to maximize the performance of the extraction technique. The performance of the method was appraised via the parameters selectivity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision, and accuracy. The LOD and LOQ of safrole were 0.0057 and 0.019 μg kg⁻¹, respectively and the determination coefficient (R²) was >0.99. The relative recovery ranged from 99.26 to 104.85, with a coefficient of variation <15%. The validated method was applied to assess the persistence of safrole residue in grains, where concentrations ranged from 1.095 to 0.052 µg kg⁻¹ (contact) and from 2.16 to 0.12 µg kg ⁻¹ (fumigation). The levels measured up from the fifth day represented less than 1% of the initial concentration, proving that safrole have low persistence in cowpea beans, thus being safe for bioinsecticide use. Thus, this work is relevant not only for the extraction method developed, but also for the possible use of a natural insecticide in pest management in stored grains.     

Screening of variables in β-xylosidase recovery using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide reversed micelles

β-Xylosidase recovery by micelles using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) cationic surfactant was verified under different experimental conditions. A 2⁵⁻¹ fractional factorial design with center points was employed to verify the influence of the following factors on enzyme extraction: pH (x ₁), CTAB concentration (x ₂), electrical conductivity (x ₃), hexanol concentration (x ₄), and butanol concentration (x ₅). Statistical analysis of the results shows that of the fivevariables studied only hexanol and electrical conductivity did not have significant effects on the recovery of β-xylosidase. The other factors had significant effects in increasing order: (x ₁)>(x ₂)>(x ₅). The model predicts a recovery value of about 45%, which is similar to that obtained experimentally (43.5%).     

Dualità per alcune classi di moduliE-compatti

Summary Starting from a topological module E over a commutative discrete ring A, the category C(E) of E-compact modules is defined as the class of all A-modules topologically isomorphic to closed submodules of direct product of copies of E. Under suitable assumptions it is shown that C(E) is dual of the category of abstract A-modules M for whichHom _A(M, E) separates points of M. The duality theory so obtained contains as particular cases Pontryagin's duality between discrete and compact abelian groups and Macdonald's duality between lineary discrete and linearly compact modules over a complete local ring. There are also some applications to the theory of linearly compact modules over noetherian rings.

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Entrata in Redazione il 10 aprile 1976.

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Lavoro eseguito nell'ambito dell'attività dei gruppi di ricerca matematici del C.N.R.     

Remarks about global analytic hypoellipticity

We present a characterization of the operators

which are globally analytic hypoelliptic on the torus. We give information about the global analytic hypoellipticity of certain overdetermined systems and of sums of squares.

     

Purification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from baker’s yeast in aqueous two-phase systems with free triazine dyes as affinity ligands

To improve the selectivity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) extraction by an aqueous two-phase system, a simple and inexpensive affinity aqueous two-phase system using unbound reactive triazine dyes as ligands was introduced. In a polyethylene glycol (PEG)/hydroxypropyl starch (PES) system, the unbound free triazine dyes, Cibacron Blue F3GA and Procion Red HE3B, partitioned unevenly in the top PEG-rich phase and thus showed an affinity effect on G6PDH, but no influence on hexokinase. The various parameters investigated were pH of the system, buffers, molecular weight of PEG, and ligand type and concentration. A two-step affinity extraction process was established for the purification of G6PDH from baker’s yeast. The total yield of G6PDH was 66.9% and purification factor was 2.35.     

Study of the muffin-tin approximation in the multiple-scattering method

We consider the effects of a non-muffin-tin charge density in the multiple-scattering method. The study is carried out by means of a parametrized electronic density, which is used in a variational expression for the energy of the molecular system. We show that, at least in two situations, the parametrized density reproduces the true density very well. In a numerical study of the electronic configuration of the CH₄ molecule, we show that the non-muffin-tin density may shift the one-electron energies by as much as 1 eV and the total energy by as much as 1 Ry.