Hiv-1 Specific Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors: why are Tsao-Nucleosides so Unique?

1. INTRODUCTION

AIDS will still be one of the most important challenges for the Scientific Community in the approaching new century. Since the identification, in 1983-84,^1,2 of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the etiological agent of AIDS, significant progress has been made in the treatment of HIV-infected patients. This has been in part due to the discovery and clinical use of an increasing number of anti-HIV drugs. However, while highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)³ approaches have reduced the morbidity and mortality, the intertwined problems of drug induced viral resistance, poor compliance with complex regimens and therapy failure continue. Therefore, there remains a pressing need for the development of new antiviral agents that can be used not only as first line therapeutic candidates, but also in the antiretroviral-experienced patient population.     

Multivariate optimization of the Kharasch–Sosnovsky allylic oxidation of olefins

The multivariate optimization method known as simplex is applied to the Kharasch–Sosnovsky allylic oxidation of double bonds. By applying this method, the amounts of three variables (copper source, oxidant, and additive) are optimized at the same time. Under the conditions thus obtained the reaction takes place in a considerable shorter time, being the alkene the limiting reagent. These conditions are applied to some monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes leading regioselectively to the corresponding benzoate esters, opening a route to the employment of this reaction in the synthesis of more complex molecules.     

Novel PdAgCu ternary alloy as promising materials for hydrogen separation membranes: Synthesis and characterization

The use of the sequential electroless plating method allowed us to obtain the PdAgCu ternary alloy on top of dense stainless steel (SS) 316 L disks. The XRD analysis indicated that initially the nucleation of the two phases of the alloy (FCC and BCC) takes place, but the FCC/BCC ratio increases with the annealing time at 500 °C in H₂ stream. After 162 h, the film contained only the FCC phase, which presents promising properties to be applied in the synthesis of hydrogen selective membranes. SEM cross-section results showed that a dense, continuous, defect-free film was deposited on top of the SS support, and the EDS data indicated that no significant gradient was present on the thickness of the film. XPS and LEIS allowed us to determine that Cu and Ag surface segregation takes place after annealing up to 500 °C/5 days. In the top-most surface layer, Ag enrichment takes place as determined by ARXPS experiments which can be the result of the lower surface tension of Ag compared to that of Cu and Pd. Increasing the annealing temperature results in an increase of the Ag surface segregation while the Cu concentration in the top-most surface layer decreases.     

Some optical specificity of ultrathin crystalline films

The changes of optical properties under boundary presence in molecular crystal nanofilm were theoretically investigated in this work. The dispersion law and states of excitons as well as their space distribution along boundary direction have been determined using adjusted Green's function method and also by combined analytical and numerical calculations. On the basis of real and imaginary part of relative permittivity, both absorption and refraction indices were determined, and the influences of boundary parameters on occurrence of a very selective and strictly discrete absorption were analyzed.     

Structural and magnetic properties of pulsed laser deposited SrRuO3/CoFe2O4/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 magnetic oxide heterostructures on SrTiO3(001) and MgO(001)

We report on the growth of all-oxide SrRuO₃/CoFe₂O₄/La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ and La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃/CoFe₂O₄/SrRuO₃ heterostuctures on SrTiO₃(001) and MgO(001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Structural analyses by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy clearly indicate the preservation of epitaxial relations when the La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ layer is grown first, whereas trilayers with SrRuO₃ at the bottom are more disordered. Both the substrate material and the deposition sequence strongly influence the formation of various structural defects such as interfacial dislocations and sub-grain structures, and this is clearly reflected by a reduction of the saturation magnetization in the top electrode. When the substrate material and the deposition sequence are correctly chosen, however, the magnetic moments of the La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ and SrRuO₃ layers reverse independently, and the La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ layer retains bulk-like magnetic properties.     

Uptake of Europium(III) from Water using Magnetite Nanoparticles

It is demonstrated that colloidal magnetite nanoparticles can be used as nanosorbents for lanthanide ions dissolved in water. In particular, a series of experiments are performed for the removal of Eu(III) in distinct analytical conditions and by applying an external magnet to collect the sorbents previously dispersed in water samples. Furthermore, strategies for surface chemistry functionalization are also investigated, aiming to investigate the effect of this parameter on the removal capacity of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The supernatant solutions are monitored for the remaining amount of Eu(III) by fluorescence emission measurements in the presence of 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid as a sensitizer. The results demonstrate that neat Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are capable of capturing lanthanide ions (III) from aqueous solutions (pH 7), without need of surface modification, and for subsequent removal by magnetic separation. During the removal, efficiency is increased after modifying the particles' surfaces with silica and 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane; in alkaline medium (pH 10), there is complete removal regardless the type of nanosorbent used. This has been explained by the formation of insoluble Eu(III) species that adsorb strongly to the nanosorbents surfaces allowing their subsequent magnetic separation.     

Chebyshev collocation methods in thermoconvective problems

Chebyshev collocation methods are high-order methods. This means that high precision is obtained with low-order expansions. Then `small' matrices appear in the numerical implementation and reduced computing resources become necessary. Thermoconvective fluid dynamics problems are large ones, involving various partial differential equations for several fields in large dimensions. The models present a number of difficulties, such as the different orders of derivatives for the different fields, or lack of information on the boundary conditions for pressure. This paper presents a review of the specific characteristics of this method when it is applied to thermoconvective problems: the method, the types of problems, the different resulting models, the strategies to overcome the difficulties of the different derivative orders and the characteristics of the matrices, and the convergence properties. A comparison of its efficiency with other numerical methods like finite differences and finite elements is included.     

Bending loss measurement using a fiber cavity ringdown scheme

A novel sensitive technique for the determination of losses in fiber cavities is presented. The method is based on the cavity ringdown scheme implemented in silica-based single-mode fibers. Bending losses of fiber cavities of different lengths have been measured showing all an oscillating behavior with respect to the curvature radius of the fiber as predicted by a theoretical model. The best minimum detectable absorbance per cavity pass achieved by this new method is 1.72×10⁻³ dB within a 10 m-long cavity. This limit suffices well for an accurate determination of optical bending losses even in bend-insensitive fibers. Furthermore, the comparison of the measured bending losses with a theoretical model allows the extraction of different fiber parameters. Good agreement has been found between the experimentally derived parameters and literature data.