The influence of cosolvent polarity on the flow properties of hydroalcoholic gels: empirical models

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of cosolvent polarity on the rheological flow properties of aqueous and hydroalcoholic gels obtained from the Carbopol Ultrez 10 base and used for topical applications. Specifically, we have examined the effect of pH (range 4.0--7.0) on the consistency and flow properties of dispersed systems in water and mixtures--15 : 85% v/v of methanol : water, ethanol : water, n-propanol : water and n-butanol : water--at a constant polymer concentration of 0.3% w/w. The gels, which had decreasing polarity values in the jellifying medium, showed qualitatively similar flow behavior, characteristic of pseudoplastic systems, and all of the flow curves were adjusted to the Ostwald model. Sigmoidal dose response functions were calculated to describe the flow and consistency indexes as a function of pH. As a result, the influence of alcohol polarity on the polymer network has been assessed meaningfully using the empirical parameters obtained: maximum consistency index value (k(max)), pH value required for 50% development of polymer network (pH(50)), and asymptotic flow index value (n(min)) for the fully structured gels.     

Spontaneous dissolution of a single-wall carbon nanotube salt

Upon reduction with alkali metals, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTS) are shown to form polyelectrolyte salts that are soluble in polar organic solvents without any sonication, use of surfactants, or functionalization whatsoever, thus forming true thermodynamically stable solutions of naked SWNTs.     

The impact of LIMS design and functionality on laboratory quality achievements

 A laboratory information management system (LIMS) can make a major contribution to the quality and therefore to the efficiency and competitiveness of a laboratory. Since it can impact all aspects of a laboratory's organization it must be the key if not the principal player of the laboratory's quality system. It should support the laboratory in establishing, maintaining and applying quality procedures thereby enabling the laboratory to achieve its quality goals. As a tool, LIMS permits the laboratory to input and use its own know-how and experience to optimize the total organization (internal and external) and workflow of generated information. However, perceived "quality" in the context of an LIMS, can be viewed as being made up of different facets such as the security, reliability and accessibility of information as well as its turn around time and production cost. This paper reviews the role of a LIMS in the laboratory and the contribution that both system design and functionality can have on "building quality ". Received: 5 October 1998 · Accepted: 20 October 1998     

Cyclization Studies with N-Mannich bases of 2-substituted indoles

The synthesis of the indoles 7 , 15 , 16 with a 3-methoxyphenyl group, attached via an α-side chain of 1,2,or 3 CH₂ units, is reported. These compounds, after appropriate protection at C(3), were transformed into the N-[(dimethylamino)methyl]indoles 22 , 23 , and 24 , respectively. When treated with AcCl, these N-Mannich bases gave, in two cases, stable N-(chloromethyl)indoles 25 and 26 . In the presence of SnCl₄, ring closure occurred via electrophilic attack of 1-methylideneindolium ions on the methoxyphenyl group. Formation of seven-membered rings (→ 27 , 28 ) and eight-membered rings (→ 29 ) was found to be a favorable process. Cyclization to six-membered rings did not occur within this series.     

PFGSE-NMR study of the self-diffusion of sucrose fatty acid monoesters in water

The micellization of pure monosubstituted sucrose fatty acid esters in water, namely sucrose octanoate, sucrose decanoate, sucrose laurate, sucrose dodec-5-cis-enoate, sucrose myristate, and sucrose palmitate, has been investigated by means of two NMR methods, pulsed field gradient spin-echo NMR (PFGSE-NMR), giving access to the self-diffusion coefficients of free molecules and micelles in solution, and the ERETIC method (electronic reference to access in vivo concentrations) for the measurement of concentrations by external calibration of a synthetic NMR signal. The early micellar regions and, when possible, the premicellar regions were investigated. By this method, we obtained the hydrodynamic radii of micelles, displaying a linear progression in relation to the chain length and an accurate determination of critical micellar concentration (CMC) for each sucrose ester. The effect of the regiochemistry of fatty chain grafting has been investigated, showing special behavior for 1'-O-sucrose palmitate.     

Preparation d'esters par deshydrogenation d'alcools primaires en phase liquide catalysee par l'oxyde de cuivre - observations preliminaires

Linear primary alcohols with at least 7 carbon atoms are quite quantitatively transformed in esters, by CuO, at temperatures > 170°, without air in liquid phase. Preponderant influence of carbon in position 2 is evidenced. In the same conditions lactones are obtained from diols, and benzylic alcohols undergoes, by hydride transfer, a disproportionation into toluene, benzaldehyde and water.     

Absence of absolutely continuous spectrum of Floquet operators

The spectrum of the Floquet operator associated with time-periodic perturbations of discrete Hamiltonians is considered. If the gap between successive eigenvalues _j of the unperturbed Hamiltonian grows as _j - _j-1 j and the multiplicity of _j grows asj with >0 asj tends to infinity, then the corresponding Floquet operator possesses no absolutely continuous spectrum provided the perturbation is smooth enough.     

On the spectrum of the sum of generators for a finitely generated group

Let Γ be a finitely generated group. In the group algebra ℂ[Γ], form the averageh of a finite setS of generators of Γ. Given a unitary representation π of Γ, we relate spectral properties of the operator π(h) to properties of Γ and π. For the universal representationπ _un of Γ, we prove in particular the following results. First, the spectrum Sp(π _un (h)) contains the complex numberz of modulus one iff Sp(π _un (h)) is invariant under multiplication byz, iff there exists a character such that η(S)={z}. Second, forS ⁻¹=S, the group Γ has Kazhdan’s property (T) if and only if 1 is isolated in Sp(π _un (h)); in this case, the distance between 1 and other points of the spectrum gives a lower bound on the Kazhdan constants. Numerous examples illustrate the results.