Amyloid beta peptides electrochemistry: A review

Alzheimer disease is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disorder estimated to affect up to 107 million people by 2050, its pathology is associated with the dysfunction of the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide mechanism, among others. Electrochemical methods were successfully applied for Aβ electrochemical characterisation and have received increased attention in Aβ research. This review discusses the recent advances on the direct electrochemical detection of Aβ redox mechanisms, fibrilization and interaction with metal ions based on the electrochemical detection of the Aβ′s

,

and

amino acid residues oxidation peaks.     

An optical spectroscopic study of borate glasses containing uranium ions

An optical spectroscopic investigation has been performed on some borate glasses containing 1mol% UF₄, UO₂ and UO₃. The optical data confirm the presence of uranium ions in valence stages of +6, +5 and +4. The influence of the composition of the glass matrix and of the -irradiation on the redox equilibrium of uranium ions was discussed.     

Impact of size upon lasing in ZnO microtetrapods

High optical quality, well end leg faceted ZnO microtetrapods with leg length between 1 and 12 μm have been grown by carbothermal chemical vapor deposition. Lasing with mode quality factors of 2500–3000 is demonstrated. The origin of laser resonator cavity is discussed as a function of the tetrapod size. It is shown that in big tetrapods with legs of 12 μm in length the laser emission lines are well explained by longitudinal Fabry–Pérot modes generated in cavities formed by individual tetrapod legs. The dispersion of the ZnO refractive index is experimentally determined from the position of lasing modes in the temperature interval from 10 to 300 K. It is shown that the lasing mode structure is seriously affected by the decrease of the tetrapod size. For a small tetrapod with a leg length of 1 μm, the lasing modes cannot be explained anymore by the formation of longitudinal Fabry–Pérot modes in separate tetrapod legs, and the generation of guided modes by multiple total internal reflections in single tetrapod legs or in pairs of legs should be taken into account. The correlations between the lasing threshold and the tetrapod size are discussed.     

Čebyšev-Grüss-type inequalities revisited

We generalize and improve several inequalities of the ?eby?ev-Grüss-type using least concave majorants of the moduli of continuity of the functions involved. Our focus is on normalized positive linear functionals. We discuss a problem posed by the two Gavreas and also give the solution of a stronger one. In a section about the non-multiplicativity of positive linear operators it is demonstrated that the previous use of second moments is not quite the right choice. This is documented in the case of the classical Hermite-Fejér and de La Vallée Poussin convolution operators.     

Copoly(peryleneimide)s containing 1,3,4‐oxadiazole rings: Synthesis and properties

New copolyimides containing perylenediimide, oxadiazole and hexafluoroisopropylidene moieties were prepared by one‐step polycondensation reaction in solution at high temperature of aromatic diamines containing preformed oxadiazole ring with a mixture of a dianhydride having a perylene ring and another dianhydride with hexafluoroisopropylidene unit. The thermal stability and glass transition temperatures of these copolyimides were measured and compared with those of related polyimides. The solid polymers were also studied by polarized light microscopy and X‐ray diffraction which revealed a semicrystalline state consisting of face‐to‐face arranged columns of perylenediimide units. The film‐forming ability and properties of the resulting thin films were investigated by using atom force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy which showed that the films were organized into self‐assembled rod‐like structures. The UV‐Vis and photoluminescence properties in solution and in solid state were also investigated. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4230–4242, 2010     

Blue fluorescent polyamides containing naphthalene and oxadiazole rings

New polyamides containing 1,3,4‐oxadiazole and naphthalene rings were prepared by low‐temperature solution polycondensation reaction of a new diamine containing preformed oxadiazole ring with various aromatic diacid chlorides. Elemental analysis, mass, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to confirm the structure of the monomers and corresponding polymers. The thermal stability and glass transition temperatures of these poly(oxadiazole‐amide)s were measured and compared with those of related polymers. Their good solubility allows them to be processed in very thin films with smooth surfaces, without pinholes or cracks, when studied by atomic force microscopy. Upon irradiation with UV light the polymers showed photoluminescence maxima in the blue spectral range, both in solution and in solid state. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was performed in order to obtain information about the electrochemical stability and reversibility of the redox processes of these polyamides. The highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels, and electrochemical and optical band gap values were calculated by using the results of CV and UV/vis, respectively, showing very good electron and hole injection and transport characteristics. These properties make the present polymers suitable for application in electroluminescent devices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

PDMS migration at poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(ɛ-caprolactone)/poly(ɛ-caprolactone)-b-poly(dimethylsiloxane) blends surfaces

Films composed of poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(?-caprolactone)/poly(?-caprolactone)-b-poly(dimethylsiloxane) [PVC/PCL/(PCL-b-PDMS)] blends were prepared by solvent casting from tetrahydrofuran. The PVC content was kept constant (60 wt %) while varying the PCL and PCL-b-PDMS contents, part of the PCL (0–20 wt %) in the PVC/PCL (60/40) blend being replaced with PCL-b-PDMS with different molecular weights of the PCL blocks. The prepared blends were investigated by infrared spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. FTIR analysis and contact angle measurements indicate that the PDMS blocks tend to migrate towards the surface and this migration is preferential to the side in contact with air.     

Study of the 2-Benzimidazolylaminomethylphosphonic Acid Derivatives by Mass Spectroscopy

Abstract

The present paper reports the mass spectra of some compounds of 2-alkylenbenzimidazolylaminomethylphosphonates with the general formula:     

Upconversion luminescence of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped nanolangasite synthesized by a modified Pechini route

Nanopowders of langasite (La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄) doped with 1 at.% Er³⁺ and 3 at.% Yb³⁺ were synthesized for the first time by a modified Pechini route and annealed in air at 700, 750, 800, 900, and 1,000?°C. The langasite powders were characterized by XRD, FTIR and luminescence techniques. Crystallization began at 750?°C and pure langasite phase was obtained for the samples annealed at 800 and 900?°C. Traces of LaGaO₃ and Ga₂O₃ were observed in the sample annealed at 1,000?°C. Bright green and red luminescence was observed for pumping at 973?nm whose intensity increased with annealing temperature due to the removal of the adsorbed impurities and the improvement of crystallinity.