Synthesis of some 2,3-Dihydro-11bH-thiazolo[3,2-d][1,4]benzoxazepin-5-(6H)one derivatives. A new heterocyclic ring system

Condensation of (S)-penicillamine methyl or ethyl ester hydrochloride with salicylaldehyde and its C-5 derivatives, provided the diastereomeric thiazolidine derivatives 1 and 2 . The resulting amino function was acylated to afford the amides 3 and 4. Cyclization of the latter led to the 2,3-dihydro-11bH-thiazolo[3,2-d]-[1,4]benzoxazepin-5-(6H)ones 5 and 6. Conformational data for these heterocyclic compounds are discussed.     

Zero shear viscosity in miscible polymer blends of polystyrene and poly(2,6-dimethylphenylene ether)

The dynamic viscosities of blends of high molecular weight, narrowmolecular-weight distributed polystyrene and poly(2, 6-dimethylphenylene ether) are studied. The zero shear viscosity η_o depends on the weight average molecular weight M̄_w and on the average entanglement molecular weight M̄_e in the blend according to η_o ≈︁ M̄^3.4 _w(blend)/M̄^2.4_e(blend).     

Preclinical Pharmacokinetics and Acute Toxicity in Rats of 5-{[(2E)-3-Bromo-3-carboxyprop-2-enoyl]amino}-2-hydroxybenzoic Acid: A Novel 5-Aminosalicylic Acid Derivative with Potent Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Compound 5-{[(2E)-3-bromo-3-carboxyprop-2-enoyl]amino}-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (C1), a new 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) derivative, has proven to be an antioxidant in vitro and an anti-inflammatory agent in mice. The in vivo inhibition of myeloperoxidase was comparable to that of indomethacin. The aim of this study was to take another step in the preclinical evaluation of C1 by examining acute toxicity with the up-and-down OECD method and pharmacokinetic profiles by administration of the compound to Wistar rats through intravenous (i.v.), oral (p.o.), and intraperitoneal (i.p.) routes. According to the Globally Harmonized System, C1 belongs to categories 4 and 5 for the i.p. and p.o. routes, respectively. An RP-HPLC method for C1 quantification in plasma was successfully validated. Regarding the pharmacokinetic profile, the elimination half-life was approximately 0.9 h with a clearance of 24 mL/min after i.v. administration of C1 (50 mg/kg). After p.o. administration (50 mg/kg), the maximum plasma concentration was reached at 33 min, the oral bioavailability was about 77%, and the compound was amply distributed to all tissues evaluated. Therefore, C1 administered p.o. in rats is suitable for reaching the colon where it can exert its effect, suggesting an important advantage over 5-ASA and indomethacin in treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.     

Mössbauer Spectroscopy, Dilatometry and Neutron Diffraction Detection of the ɛ-Phase Fraction in Fe–Mn Shape Memory Alloys

The results of a Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) and a neutron diffraction (ND) study carried out on a set of Fe–Mn alloys quenched from high temperatures are reported. Upon quenching the high temperature stable phase FCC (γ) together with metastably retained HCP-(?) phase are formed. The lattice parameters obtained using ND are in excellent agreement with previous results of the literature. The phase fractions obtained from MS are coincident, within experimental errors, with those extracted from ND, with exception of the case of an alloy with the lowest Mn content (16.8 at.% Mn). That situation can be associated with the occurrence of a high density of stacking faults (SF) in the γ phase or to the presence of a paramagnetic γ phase. ? phase fractions obtained from MS and ND decrease smoothly with Mn content but are always larger than the values reported in literature resulting from dilatometry.     

Interior point methods specialized to optimal pump operation costs of water distribution networks

In the water distribution problem the loss is important and the objective function must consider it combined with pump costs. The problem becomes complex because the loss in each branch is as a nonlinear function of water outflow. The objective of this work consists in solving the water distribution problem using interior point methods and to exploit the particular structure of the problem and the specific matrix sparse pattern of the of the resulting linear systems. The interior point methods show to be robust, achieving fast convergence in all instances tested. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The Bio-Patina on a Hypogeum Wall of the Matera-Sassi Rupestrian Church “San Pietro Barisano” before and after Treatment with Glycoalkaloids

The investigation focused on the deterioration of the walls in the hypogeum of “San Pietro Barisano” rupestrian church, located in the Matera-Sassi (Southern Italy), one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The study evaluated the biocide activity of a mixture of natural glycoalkaloids (GAs) extracted from the unripe fruit of Solanum nigrum and applied to clean a hypogeum wall surface in the church affected by bio-patinas. The analyzed bio-patina, collected before treatment and, at pre-established times, after treatment, showed changes in chemical composition detected by XPS, accompanied by visible discoloration and biological activity variation. The biocidal action of the glycoalkaloids mixture, directly employed on the wall surface, was effective after about four weeks for most bio-patina colonizers but not for the fungal species that can migrate and survive in the porosities of the calcarenite. Consequently, the cleaning procedure requires the integration of fungicidal actions, combined with the consolidation of the surfaces, to obtain complete bioremediation and avoid subsequent biological recolonization. SEM images and associated microanalysis of pretreated bio-patina have revealed the biocalcogenity of some autochthonous microorganisms, thus preluding to their eventual isolation and reintroduction on the wall surface to act as consolidants once the bio-cleaning phase has been completed.     

Determination of Abamectin Residues in Avocados by Microwave-Assisted Extraction and HPLC with Fluorescence Detection

In this article a new analytical method for the confirmation and quantification of abamectin residues in avocados is described. The method allows a fast analysis of abamectin homologues using microwave assisted extraction (MAE), solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence (FL) detection using trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) and N-methylimidazole (NMIM) as derivatizing agents. The mobile phase consisted of water, methanol and acetonitrile (5:47.5:47.5 v/v/v) and was pumped at a rate of 1.1 mL min⁻¹ (isocratic elution). Homogenized avocado samples were extracted once with 20 mL acetonitrile:water 4:1 (v/v) in a microwave oven for 26 min at 700 W with a maximum temperature of 80 °C. MAE operational parameters were optimized by means of an experimental design. Extracts were cleaned using C₁₈ SPE cartridges. Average recoveries of the method at four spiked levels (0.005, 0.01, 0.10 and 1.0 mg kg⁻¹) were found to be in the range 90–100% with good precision (RSD < 12%). The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) of the whole method were 0.001 and 0.003 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, which are lower than the maximum residue limit (MRL) established by the Spanish and the European legislation in avocados (0.01 mg kg⁻¹). Several avocado samples previously treated with the pesticide were also analyzed.     

Thermodynamics of micellization of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide in ethylene glycol–water binary mixtures

The aggregation behaviour of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide in ethylene glycol–water mixtures across a range of temperatures has been investigated by electrical conductivity measurements. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) and the degree of counterion dissociation of micelles were obtained at each temperature from plots of differential conductivity, (κ/c) _{T , P} , versus the square root of the total concentration of the surfactant. This procedure not only enables us to determine the cmc values more precisely than the conventional method, based on plots of conductivity against total concentration of surfactant, but also allows straightforward determination of the limiting molar conductance and the molar conductance of micellar species. The equilibrium model of micelle formation was applied to obtain the thermodynamics parameters of micellization. Only small differences have been observed in the standard molar Gibbs free energies of micellization over the temperature range investigated. The enthalpy of micellization was found to be negative in all cases, and it showed a strong dependence on temperature in the ethylene glycol poor solvent system. An enthalpy–entropy compensation effect was observed for all the systems, but whereas the micellization of the surfactant in the solvent system with 20 wt% ethylene glycol seems to occur under the same structural conditions as in pure water, in ethylene glycol rich mixtures the results suggest that the lower aggregation of the surfactant is due to the minor cohesive energy of the solvent system in relation to water. Received: 13 December 1998 Accepted in revised form: 25 February 1999     

Sulfur hexafluoride's liquid-vapor coexistence curve, interfacial properties, and diffusion coefficients as predicted by a simple rigid model

We present here molecular-dynamics simulation results of the vapor-liquid coexistence curve, surface tension, and self-diffusion coefficients of sulfur hexafluoride. Sulfur hexafluoride is modeled as a rigid molecule, following the model proposed by Pawley [Mol. Phys. 43, 1321 (1981)]. Vapor-liquid coexistence curve and surface tension are obtained through direct molecular-dynamic simulations in the NVT ensemble. Simulation results are able to reproduce the qualitative shape of the vapor-liquid envelope. However, lower densities, a higher critical temperature, and an overestimated surface tension are obtained here. Those deviations are explained on the basis of the rigidity of the molecular model used. Self-diffusion coefficients are calculated from simulations in the NVE ensemble for different gas states at atmospheric pressure. The rigid model performs better for dynamical properties since simulation results provide very good agreement with available experimental data in this case.