The importance of glyceraldehyde radiolysis in chemical evolution

Studies in chemical evolution are intended to demonstrate how compounds of biological importance are generated from substances that could have been found in abiotic conditions on the primitive Earth or in extraterrestrial environments. In this context, the aim of the present work was to examine the behavior of dl-glyceraldehyde in both aqueous solution and solid samples under gamma irradiation. We irradiated dl-glyceraldehyde at different doses and temperatures with a gamma source; even at low doses and temperature (77 K), free radicals were detected. Among the products formed were ethylene glycol and glycolaldehyde. Some sugar-like compounds were also detected.

     

On the geometric–arithmetic index by decompositions-CMMSE

The concept of geometric–arithmetic index was introduced in the chemical graph theory recently, but it has shown to be useful. There are many papers studying different kinds of indices (as Wiener, hyper–Wiener, detour, hyper–detour, Szeged, edge–Szeged, PI, vertex–PI and eccentric connectivity indices) under particular cases of decompositions. The main aim of this paper is to show that the computation of the geometric-arithmetic index of a graph G is essentially reduced to the computation of the geometric-arithmetic indices of the so-called primary subgraphs obtained by a general decomposition of G. Furthermore, using these results, we obtain formulas for the geometric-arithmetic indices of bridge graphs and other classes of graphs, like bouquet of graphs and circle graphs. These results are applied to the computation of the geometric-arithmetic index of Spiro chain of hexagons, polyphenylenes and polyethene.     

Immobilization and Stabilization of Beta-Xylosidases from Penicillium janczewskii

β-Xylosidases are critical for complete degradation of xylan, the second main constituent of plant cell walls. A minor β-xylosidase (BXYL II) from Penicillium janczewskii was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation (30% saturation) followed by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography in pH 6.5 and elution with KCl. The enzyme presented molecular weight (MW) of 301 kDa estimated by size exclusion chromatography. Optimal activity was observed in pH 3.0 and 70–75 °C, with higher stability in pH 3.0–4.5 and half-lives of 11, 5, and 2 min at 65, 70, and 75 °C, respectively. Inhibition was moderate with Pb⁺² and citrate and total with Cu⁺², Hg⁺², and Co⁺². Partially purified BXYL II and BXYL I (the main β-xylosidase from this fungus) were individually immobilized and stabilized in glyoxyl agarose gels. At 65 °C, immobilized BXYL I and BXYL II presented half-lives of 4.9 and 23.1 h, respectively, therefore being 12.3-fold and 33-fold more stable than their unipuntual CNBr derivatives (reference mimicking soluble enzyme behaviors). During long-term incubation in pH 5.0 at 50 °C, BXYL I and BXYL II glyoxyl derivatives preserved 85 and 35% activity after 25 and 7 days, respectively. Immobilized BXYL I retained 70% activity after 10 reuse cycles of p-nitrophenyl-β-D-xylopyranoside hydrolysis.

     

Antimicrobial activity of newly synthesized thienoquinolizidines derivatives: inspired by natural plant alkaloids

The antimicrobial activity of 16 newly prepared quinolizidines derivatives using bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus sp., Escherichia coli) acid fast bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis, yeasts (Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis), and filamentous fungi (Fusarium culmorum, Microsporum gypseum, Aspergillus flavus, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata) was studied in this paper. The best antibacterial properties were demonstrated by derivatives 11Ba, trans10Bb and 11Bb, and the most sensitive microorganism was found to be the gram-positive bacterium S. epidermidis. The derivative 11Bb showed the best antifungal activity, while C. albicans was resistant to all tested derivatives, and C. parapsilosis was fully inhibited in the presence of the derivative 11Ba and 11Bb. Among the filamentous fungi, only the dermatophyte M. gypseum was partially inhibited. Biofilms represent the most prevalent type of microbial growth in nature and are crucial to the development of clinical infections. Newly synthesized derivatives were also added into the medium throughout the biofilm formation. We have observed a significant decrease of biofilm formation in the presence of quinolizidine derivatives, testifying to their significant antimicrobial activity. It seems that the relationship between antimicrobial activity and the structure is based on the alkaline character due to nitrogen, the saturated basic quinolizidine skeleton, and the position of sulfur in the molecule.     

Utilization of GDOES for the study of friction layers formed on the surface of brake discs during the friction process

The paper deals with the chemical characterization of friction layer, generated on the surface of friction materials during the friction test using the glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES). Friction layer is formed during the friction process and its character depends on several factors. One of the most important factors is the material composition of brake pads and brake disc. When the brake pressure is released at the end of the braking event, the specific friction layer remains on the surface of both pairs (brake pads and brake disc). Using the GDOES profile analysis, the thicknesses of friction layers were estimated and these results were compared with results obtained by scanning electron microscopy together with X-ray microanalysis.     

Matrix-analytic solution of infinite,finite and level-dependent second-order fluid models

This paper presents a matrix-analytic solution for second-order Markov fluid models (also known as Markov-modulated Brownian motion) with level-dependent behavior. A set of thresholds is given that divide the fluid buffer into homogeneous regimes. The generator matrix of the background Markov chain, the fluid rates (drifts) and the variances can be regime dependent. The model allows the mixing of second-order states (with positive variance) and first-order states (with zero variance) and states with zero drift. The behavior at the upper and lower boundary can be reflecting, absorbing, or a combination of them. In every regime, the solution is expressed as a matrix-exponential combination, whose matrix parameters are given by the minimal nonnegative solution of matrix quadratic equations that can be obtained by any of the well-known solution methods available for quasi birth death processes. The probability masses and the initial vectors of the matrix-exponential terms are the solutions of a set of linear equations. However, to have the necessary number of equations, new relations are required for the level boundary behavior, relations that were not needed in first-order level dependent and in homogeneous (non-level-dependent) second-order fluid models. The method presented can solve systems with hundreds of states and hundreds of thresholds without numerical issues.     

Theoretical investigation of the molecular structure and spectroscopic properties of oxicams

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most frequently prescribed drugs and have multiple therapeutic uses. These drugs are predominantly used for the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases because of their analgesic, antipyretic, and antiplatelet activities. Oxicams constitute an interesting class of organic compounds and have been investigated in the search for new analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. In the present work, a theoretical investigation of the molecular structure and spectroscopic properties of a series of five oxicams in different solvents was performed using density functional theory (DFT) methods. The geometric optimizations of the oxicams were carried out using the M06 density functional and the CBSB7 basis set. The infrared data were all obtained at the same theoretical level. The UV-Vis absorption and NMR data of some oxicams were calculated using the DFT and CBSB3 basis sets. The analysis of structural parameters, particularly the bond length and spectroscopic data, indicated that interactions occurred between the hydrogen bond types for 4-meloxicam, isoxicam, and normeloxicam. Stereoelectronic interactions caused by the substitution of alkyl groups caused the bond lengths to elongate. Similarly, the substitution of heteroatoms, such as nitrogen, sulfur, or oxygen, increased the bond lengths and angular stresses.